A Dangerous Kind Of Love
by CoolDiva
Summary: Tommy meets a woman with a complex life. But, will he regret ever having laid eyes on her? TommyOC.
1. Nice To Meet You

**Disclaimer**: _Power Rangers aren't among my earthly possessions_.

**Author's Note(s)**: Well, I decided to start a new story. I hope this one is successful- seeing as how it co-stars an OC. We all know that those can be kinda tough to pull off, but, ya know what? I'm just gonna try to do my very best.

**Pairings**: Adam/Tanya, Rocky/Katherine, Billy/Trini, Zack/Aisha, Jason/Kimberly. A few others may appear.

* * *

**A Dangerous Kind Of Love**

**By: CoolDiva**

**(_Nice To Meet You_)  
**

It was the second Friday in September and on this particular evening, twenty-six-year-old Tommy Oliver was having dinner with two of his closest friends- Jason Scott and Kimberly Hart- in Kimberly's apartment. They'd began the meal almost ten minutes earlier- which was also when Kimberly had began trying to play matchmaker for Tommy. It probably should have seemed a little weird since she was his ex-girlfriend, but, Kimberly was Kimberly. Besides, their relationship had ended a long time ago.

"Come on, Kim. Give the poor guy a break," Jason said with a laugh.

"I will- after he agrees to go out without her," Kimberly replied. She and Jason had been a couple two years. They'd gotten engaged three months earlier. As far as occupations went, Kimberly worked as a personal shopper and Jason ran a dojo with Adam Park.

Tommy laughed. "That's not gonna be happening, Kim."

"Why not? It's just what you need after all those bad dates you've whined about lately," she said.

"I don't _whine_," Tommy said, pretending to take serious offense.

She smirked. "You'll really like her."

"I think I'll pass," he said.

She threw her hands up in frustration. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"Thanks," he said lightly.

"I wasn't being complimentary, Oliver. Why won't you go out with her- just this once?" she asked.

"Because it could be a disaster," he said.

"Or it could be fantastic," she said.

"Or disastrous," Tommy said.

"Or fantastic," she said.

"Or disastrous," he said.

"Or fantastic," she said.

"Or disastrous," he said.

"Or fantastic," she said.

"Well, this is fun," Jason said dryly- causing Tommy to laugh and Kimberly to roll her eyes.

"All right. Forget about her. What about Hayley? You guys already have a great friendship going," Kimberly said, smiling.

"That's exactly the way we wanna keep it," Tommy said.

"Tommy, I know that friends don't always make the best lovers, but, Jason and I- along with our friends- are proof that it can work," she told the teacher.

"The thing is, Hayley and I_ prefer _to be friends, Kim," he said honestly.

"Then, there's no reason you can't go out with Sandra," she said.

"Sure, there is: I don't want to," Tommy said- eliciting a snicker from Jason.

"Jason, instead of _encouraging_ him, how about helping me out a little here?" Kimberly said, raising an eyebrow.

"I would, Pinky, but, if he doesn't want the date, there's not much we can do about it," Jason said to his fiancee.

"I'm a woman without a country," Kimberly said, sighing. "Tommy, I know I'm being kind of pushy, but, that's only because I just want you to be happy."

He gave her a genuine, grateful smile. "I know you do, Kim, and I appreciate it. But I'm just not up for blind dates right now."

"Okay. I'll back off," she said.

"For about a week," Jason said under his breath.

"What was that, sweetie?" Kimberly said, a note of warning in her tone.

"I was just saying how great this food is," he said lightly.

"Isn't it, though?" she said sweetly.

"It's the best," he said.

Tommy simply smiled and shook his head in amusement.

* * *

"Yeah, Tanya. I'll be there soon," Tommy said into his cell phone that Saturday afternoon. He'd just pulled in at the gas station. "I'm pretty sure I don't have enough gas to make it to Angel Grove and back- again- so, I'm gonna fill up the tank, then, I'll be on my way." He was going to meet Adam and Tanya- whom had been married two years- at a cafe for lunch. He'd been spending a lot of time with his friends the last couple weeks. It wasn't anything to complain about, of course. "Okay. See ya," he said before ending the call.

'_Kim sure was entertaining as all get out in her matchmaker mode yesterday. The woman's probably gonna try to auction me off soon_,' he thought with a silent laugh as he climbed out of the Jeep.

The former ranger leader returned to his Jeep a minute later and walked up to the gas pump. '_Why didn't I just get gas on the way home last night_?' he wondered with a sigh. Oh, well. Moments later, when he was filling the tank, he heard a car door open and looked ahead to see a woman around his age emerging from a black Jaguar. She had curly, blond hair and appeared to be around five-five or five-six.

She caught his eye as she was heading off, then, stopped and smiled at him. He smiled as well. "Hi," she said, taking a few steps towards him. He saw that her eyes were coffee-colored.

"Hey," he said.

"Cars, huh? Am I the only one that wishes they ran on air?" she said.

He laughed. "No. You're definitely not alone."

"Maybe they'll be around in five years," she said.

"You never know. Everything seems to be possible these days," he said as he finished filling his gas tank.

"Tell me about it. We'll probably end up with talking ketchup soon," she said.

"And mustard that laughs," he said.

"Bread that sings," she said, amusement dancing around in her eyes.

"Apples that smile," he said.

"Well, if the Kool-Aid Man can..." she said in a mock serious tone. He laughed and she grinned. "I've gotta thank you. This is the best time I've ever had a gas station ."

"I get that a lot," he quipped- causing her to laugh.

"I guess I'd better let you go. It was nice meeting you..." she said, lifting her eyebrows expectantly.

"Tommy," he supplied.

"Trisha," she said.

"It was nice meeting you, too," he said. She gave him another smile, then, turned to walk away. "Trisha, wait." The words were out of his mouth before he realized it. She turned to face him again and he cleared his throat. He was thankful he'd gotten better at communicating with the opposite sex over the years. "I know this may seem pretty forward, but, are you seeing anyone?" he asked.

"Actually, no, I'm not," she said.

"Well, would you like to find out what annoy us besides gas stations- over dinner?" he asked.

She stared at him for what felt like an actual minute, then, nodded and smiled. "Sure. I think I'd like that a lot."

"Me, too," he said. "What night would be good for you?"

"Next Saturday. Does that work for you?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said.

"I guess the phone number exchange should happen now. It'll be a relief to call someone new on my lunch break," she said, freeing her cell phone from its clip.

Tommy reached for his own cell. Several minutes later, he was in his Jeep- heading for Angel Grove. He'd called his friends to apologize for being later for lunch than he'd intended. He certainly hadn't expected to meet someone today. A smile appeared on his face. He'd met someone. A woman that didn't seem to have "disaster date" written all over her. _That_ hadn't happened in awhile.

'_Looks like Kim's gonna have to find a new client_,' he thought, chuckling.

* * *

Trisha stood in front of the door to her apartment a couple hours later. She was holding six shopping bags. '_I haven't treated myself like that in awhile_,' she thought with a smile as she sat her purchases down. She was proud of herself because, over the last several months, she hadn't been a spending machine.

'_I should've gone to the grocery store- even though that would've been a wasted trip_,' she thought as she unlocked her door. She considered herself a stove's worst nightmare. '_Learning to cook things nobody's scared to eat should probably be next on my list_.' She grabbed her bags and was about to enter her apartment...

"You know you can't get involved with him," a low but steely-hard voice said behind her.

Trisha tensed and her eyes narrowed immediately. "You followed me," she said, her tone laced with annoyance. Then, she turned to glare at him. "That has gotta _stop_ and I mean it."

Anthony "Tony" Moretti was leaning against the wall next to the apartment across from her, arms folded over his chest and ankles crossed. There was a dark look on his face. He stood up straight and walked up to her. "You know you can't get involved with him," he repeated, his eyes boring down into hers.

"Hell didn't freeze over today," she said calmly.

"What are you talking about?" he asked in an irritated tone.

"Well, that _is_ when I'll let you run my personal life," she said.

"Don't start with me, Trisha," he said, shaking his head slowly.

"Stop following me," she snapped. It was strange and a little disturbing because she hadn't even noticed him at the gas station.

"I'm just doing my job. He wants you protected," he said.

"I don't need or want his protection," she said. "And we both know it's more than that. He wants to keep tabs on me. Control me."

"Somebody has to. You made a dumb move today and you know it. He's not gonna like this," he said.

"That's not my problem, Tony," she said.

"You can't get involved with that guy. Because of who you are," he said.

Her eyes flashed. "How many times do I have to say this? That's _not_ who I am. If you and Mike had any brains at all, you'd both-"

"Like it or not, you can't run away from it. Ever. The big man won't let you," Tony said.

"I've spent so much time, so much of my life, trying to be the opposite of... . I'm not gonna be what he wants," she said. "He's lucky I still talk to him."

"Here's what's gonna happen, Miss _Barrett_. You're gonna cancel on that guy or it'll be handled for you," he said.

"It's_ one_ date," she said.

"Then, it's two, three, four... . You know what? On second thought, go ahead. Go right ahead and have your date," he said.

"Leave, Tony," she snapped.

"I'm not just here because it's part of my job. I'm here because you're my sister and I care what happens to you," he said, then, turned and walked away.

Trisha stared after him, anger swirling around in her. What was it going to take? When would they back off? She rolled her eyes, her annoyance returning in full force. '_Like I told Tony, it's one date. Even if there are a few more, it won't be a big deal because I'm not gonna get serious about Tommy... I can't risk that_.'

* * *


	2. Chemistry

_**I decided to throw caution to the wind yet again by updating.  
**_

_**As always, I appreciate the support.**_

_**On we go...**_

* * *

_**Chemistry**_

'_This is gonna be great_,' Tommy thought as he got into his Jeep a week later- on Saturday night. Trisha had asked if they could meet at the restaurant instead of him picking her up. He was glad this night had finally come because he wanted to get to know more about her in person. During their phone conversations this past week, they'd talked some about hobbies, interests and her job- she was an assistant fashion editor at a fashion magazine called Alluring Style.

Tommy laughed to himself when Aisha Campbell and Kimberly had heard about Trisha. Needless to say, the former pink and yellow rangers had already started planning a get-together at his house so everyone could get to know Trisha. His friends were just hilarious.

A short while later, Tommy was sitting at a table in an Italian restaurant, waiting for his date to arrive. '_I can't believe I'm actually here a little early_.' On second thought, he could. He had been looking forward to this all week. After talking with her on the phone, he was positive this night wouldn't be a disaster.

"Her marvelous majesty has arrived," an amused female voice said a few minutes later.

Tommy looked up, stood and smiled. She was wearing a black, knee-length dress with what Tommy knew women referred to as spaghetti straps- he also knew the dress was referred to as a cocktail dress. "Hi, Trisha. You look fantastic."

"Fantastic instead of "great" or "nice". You just earned yourself a thousand bonus points, buddy boy," she said, winking. He laughed and she grinned. "Thanks for the compliment, though. You made the fantastic list too, you know."

"Thanks," Tommy said, briefly glancing down at his maroon dress shirt and black dress pants. '_Thanks for ordering me to wear this, Hayley_.' Then, he stepped around the table and pulled her chair out.

"Gentleman. Be sure to thank Mom for me," she said as she sat.

"No problem," he joked as he took his own seat.

"This has always been one of my favorite restaurants," she said. "Have you been here often?"

"A few times," he said. "They've got excellent service." After giving their drink orders to the waiter a few minutes later, Tommy smiled. "So, since we've covered the "what annoys us" area and we've talked about what we like to do, I think family's the next topic."

The light in her eyes faded and she squirmed a little. "Family." Her tone was a little odd.

"Family. You know, those people called mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle..." he said, a teasing glint in his eye.

She gave a half smile. "Yeah. It's starting to come back to me now. You first. Any brothers or sisters?"

"One brother," he replied. He went on to tell her about being adopted, how good his relationship with his parents was and not meeting David until he was in his teens... of course, he left out _how_ meeting his brother had happened. "Well, it's your turn now," he told her with a smile after they'd ordered their food.

She cleared her throat and shifted in her chair. "I have two older brothers and a complicated relationship with my father. My mother died of breast cancer eight years ago- when I was eighteen."

"I'm really sorry," he said in a sympathetic tone.

"So am I. She was a very special lady. She had the biggest heart," she said, her voice catching a little. She cleared her throat again and gave Tommy a smile. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna have a meltdown."

"It'd be okay if you did. She was your mom and even if she'd been gone twenty years, you'd still expect to hear and see her everywhere you go," Tommy said.

"I honestly do. We were really close and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think of her," she said, blinking back tears.

"Are you and your brothers close?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and shifted again. "I was always closer to the second oldest. We haven't been very close lately, though. Things are just complicated."

"Like with you and your dad," he said.

"My dad... . People think I had_ the _life because my family's wealthy. But, it wasn't all champagne, caviar and strawberries. My dad is a controlling man and he firmly believes he's rarely wrong about anything. He can be pretty hard to take at times. But, then, so can I," she said. "He can't stand the fact that I have my own brain."

Tommy laughed. "Yeah. There are a lot of parents like that and it's ridiculous. Sounds like your parents were opposites."

"Definitely. But they did love each other and she was one of the few people that could keep him in line. I always thought the way she handled him was hilarious because it was so _normal_. She wouldn't even yell. She'd just give him this look, touch his shoulder and start speaking in this calm, casual voice. He knew she meant business and would almost always quickly back down," Trisha said, grinning.

"A guy like that? I'm sure that was funny," Tommy said, smiling.

"Yeah. When I was older and understood things better, a part of me always wondered why she'd live her life with him. Not even because of his personality. Because of... never mind. It's not important. I guess when you're crazy in love with a person... you turn a blind eye and deaf ear to a lot of things you really, _really_ shouldn't," Trisha said, staring straight ahead at nothing in particular.

Tommy frowned. The look in her eyes and her voice was strange. Almost kind of chilling. He'd gotten from their previous conversations that, aside from being a funny and interesting woman, she was also pretty mysterious. '_Well, that'll all change if we spend more time together_,' he thought.

Trisha blinked, then- as though she'd been snapped back to reality. "I hope they bring our food soon. I'm starving."

* * *

A few hours later, Tommy and Trisha were going for a late-night stroll along the beach. They'd come here after leaving the movies- which was a place they'd chosen to go after finishing dessert. They'd both seen the movie before, but, didn't care. Anyhow, they felt this was a nice way to end the night. Trisha flashed a smile at him.

"I gotta say that this has been one of the best nights I've had in a long time," she said.

"Same here," he said with a smile.

"Well, of course it's one of your best nights. I mean, I'm amazing company," she said, mock serious.

"I'm outstanding company," he said in the same tone.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I'm prettier than you," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You got me there," he said. They both laughed, then, Trisha sighed deeply and glanced up at the dark sky.

"It's such a gorgeous night," she said. "Nights like this make you feel like you're in a universe that's perfect. Makes ya feel like all your dreams and wishes can come true. A universe where clouds are made out of chocolate and there really are yellow, brick roads." She smirked. "If that was too lame, feel free to take off running right now."

He laughed. "Hey, that universe doesn't sound bad at all to me."

"I like that you like that I'm weird," she said, smiling.

"I've got a lotta experience with weird- trust me," he said.

"That makes the two of us," she said quietly. Then, she smiled again. "Don't you just love coming to the beach at night?"

"I always have. It's better at night," he said, then, looked at her. "For a lot of reasons."

"You read my mind," she said. The two of them stopped to stare out at the ocean and she slipped her hand into his- making an easy smile appear on his face. She looked over at him. "I'm already starting to think that you're a special kind of guy, Tommy."

"Then... you'll say yes to seeing me again," he said, squeezing her hand gently.

"I will," she said.

"Glad to hear it," he said.

"Gladder to say it. You've got a when, what and where?" she asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon, lunch and a cafe in Reefside," he said.

"Looking forward to it," she said.

"Me, too," he said. They smiled at each other. A few moments later, Tommy turned to her, reached up and began softly caressing her cheek. She trembled slightly. "A special kind of guy, huh?" he said in a low voice.

"I can jazz up the compliment if you want," she said, a flirtatious gleam in her eye.

"I don't doubt that," he said with a soft chuckle. "Would a certain part of my body end up in agony if I tried to kiss you?"

"I'm thinking it would if you didn't try," she said.

He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers. She took on the task of deepening the kiss. When they came up for air, the smiles returned.

* * *

Trisha was singing to herself as she stepped off the elevator in her apartment building a couple hours later. Singing to herself made all the sense in the world- seeing as how she couldn't carry a tune in a nice, little, blue bucket. But, she felt like singing at the top of her lungs. '_I don't think Tommy knows the effect he has on women. Or maybe he does and just gets a kick out of being cruel_,' she thought with a giggle. Then, she stopped in her tracks. '_Did I just giggle? Me_?' She giggled at that and resumed walking.

She'd had an incredible time tonight and felt like she was flying. Dinner, a movie and a walk on the beach sounded like an ordinary evening, but, tonight had felt anything but ordinary. She'd meant it when she'd told Tommy he was a special kind of guy.

'_I can't wait to see him again_,' she thought as she unlocked her door. '_Who would be able to wait? He's funny, sweet and way too easy on the eyes_.' She stepped into her apartment, but, before she could take another step, she was grabbed by the waist from behind and a hand covered her mouth.

* * *


	3. Family

_**Hello, everyone. I know I left the despised cliffie and I ain't apologizing for it**. (**cruel laughter follows**)._

**_By the way, this story is_ post-Dino Thunder.**

_**As always, thanks for the continued support.**_

_**On I go with what I hope is an all right chapter... .**_

* * *

**_Family_**

Trisha's eyes widened and she struggled as hard as she could to free herself from her captor- whom released her a couple seconds later. The blonde woman quickly spun around to see none other than twenty-seven-year-old William "Will" Romano. Her shock and slight fear was instantly replaced by boiling hot fury. Her brown eyes blazed and she slapped him hard across the face.

"_Crap_. You and that hand! Dammit, Trish," the dark-eyed, dark-haired man said, rubbing his cheek and glaring at her in annoyance.

"What the hell's wrong with you?! Grabbing me like a maniac. What do you want and where did you even come from? Did you follow me? Did you _follow_ me?" she demanded angrily. "Huh? Did you? Did you? Answer me!

"Yes," he replied as though she'd just asked him if he wanted a cup of coffee.

"I'm so _sick_ of you people!" she exclaimed.

"We care about you. That's why we need to know who you spend time with," Will said.

"You wanna control me," she said harshly. "And that's just not gonna happen. I want everybody- especially you- to leave me the hell alone and I'm dead serious. Stay away from me, Will."

"Come on, Trish. This protection is for your own good," he said in a tone that would be appropriate for a child. He'd developed a habit of speaking to her that way and that was one of the reasons she... .

"Leave," she snapped.

"Why are you acting like such a bitch? It's me, Trish. It's_ me_. Our families have been tight for years. Our dads are best friends and business partners. You and I-" he was saying.

"Shut up and get the hell out of here. Now," she said, placing her hands on her hips.

"You look amazing, by the way," he said with a smile of approval.

"Am I speaking German? Leave!" she said.

He leaned against her door frame. "You seriously wanna date that guy. How long do you think it's gonna last, Trish? Huh? When he finds out who you_ really_ are, he'll run straight for the nearest exit. You know that. So, why are you risking-"

"You know what, Will? Maybe Tommy and I won't work out. Maybe we won't. But, it's none of your business," she said, now practically shaking with fury.

"We both know that only a certain type of man can understand and fit into your world," he said calmly. "You can't risk being reckless when it comes to the opposite sex and you damn well know why. What's your problem?"

She laughed- a dry, humorless laugh. "I don't have a problem, Will. But you'll be having a very painful one if you don't get outta my sight."

"Trying to run and deny is just pointless, Trisha. It's not gonna change things and it sure as hell won't protect you," he said, his voice cold and serious. "Or this guy you went out with tonight- if you foolishly decide to become serious with him."

"Will... we both know that you don't give a damn about Tommy. You're not trying to look out for anyone but yourself. You're pissed because you can't have what you want," she said.

"I'm also pissed because you're behaving like someone with cotton candy for brains. That's not the Trisha I know. The one I've known my whole life," he said. "Do what you know is right and-"

"You don't care about what's right. None of you do," she said fiercely. "Never talk to me about "right." Figure out what it means first."

"Your father just wants-" he began.

"I know what he wants," she snapped. "I know what I want, too. Right now, I want you to go away and never step foot in this building again. You've got no reason to be around."

"That's bull and you know it," he said.

"You're delusional and I can't do anything about that," she said.

"People make mistakes," he said in a low voice. "But, the past is the past."

"And this conversation is over," she said.

"You've gotta stop lying to yourself. You should just accept the truth. You know what needs to happen and what's meant to happen. You've known for the last three years. But, then, you always were stubborn," he said.

"I'm ready to go to bed," she said flatly.

"Fine. I have to ask you something first, though. Are you gonna be there Thursday night?" he asked.

"Be where?" she asked, genuinely confused and a little curious.

"Your family's mansion," he said.

"Why?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Your dad's planned a family dinner. He invited my parents, my brother and me," he said. "I thought he, Tony or Mike had told you already. But, it's not much of a shock- seeing as how pretending you're so much better than the rest of us is one of your favorite hobbies."

Trisha looked away. She definitely didn't want to go, but, she knew she wouldn't be up for dealing with her father or brothers or _Will_ for not showing up. She rolled her eyes. "I'll be there. But, don't expect me to hang around and chat or play Monopoly afterwards."

"As usual," he said dryly, then, stood, smirked, turned and headed off.

* * *

"You _are_ coming to her birthday party, right?" Natalia Moretti said to Trisha on Thursday evening. "You know it wouldn't be the same without you."

Trisha gave her thirty-two-year-old sister-in-law a smile. The smile was as phony as Natalia herself. The two women were sitting in the living room in the Moretti mansion. Dinner was currently being prepared. Natalia had been married to Trisha's oldest brother Mike- whom was also thirty-two- for seven years and they had a son and daughter: Tyler was two and Kayla would be five in two weeks.

"Kayla _adores_ you and it would just crush her if you didn't come," Natalia said, looking straight into the younger woman's eyes. "It'd scar for her life, I'm sure. This is a very memorable event."

Trisha fought back an amused snort. '_Never even tries to be subtle_.' "Of course I'll come," was what she said out loud.

"Wonderful," Natalia said in a syrupy tone. "Kayla would probably have had us cancel the party if you were gonna be a no-show. She'd have cried an absolute river."

'_Nah. She's not as ridiculous and dramatic as Mommy_,' Trisha thought, then, almost rolled her eyes and groaned when Vanessa Gallo walked into the room. Vanessa was the fiancee of Trisha's other brother Tony- both Vanessa and Tony were twenty-nine and planned to marry in December. '_Why the hell did I come early_?' Trisha wondered silently.

Vanessa- whom was considered brassy and outspoken- smirked at Trisha. "I'm still shocked outta my mind you're actually here, future sis. What made ya decide to grace us common folk with your magnificent presence? Tony pay you? Daddy promise to buy you a continent? What, what, what?"

"I had nothing better to do," Trisha said dryly.

"Argh! These shoes are killing me and if I don't get a drink soon, I'm gonna go stark raving nuts," Vanessa said. Liquor was one of her closest friends. "Hello! Could one of you half-wits bring me a drink?" she screamed, then, rolled her eyes. "I'm telling ya, Trishy, your dad has some real freaking idiots on the household staff. They should be fired yesterday." She grinned. "I hear Will's coming to dinner. That man seems more delicious than chocolate cheesecake. I can't believe I haven't freaking had him yet. You were so freaking nuts, Trish."

"Is my brother gonna be okay with you "having" guys after you're married?" Trisha said dully.

"Oh, please! Tony's been so tied up with all these freaking business matters lately and I have freaking needs. Strong needs. I am about to freaking lose it because my bed's been so freaking cold lately. There are gonna be some serious freaking changes after we're freaking married and I freaking mean it," Vanessa said, plopping down hard on the sofa.

"You freaking go, girl," Trisha said lightly before closing her eyes.

* * *

Tommy and Trisha were walking in the park that early Saturday evening, laughing and talking. They'd had dinner last night, then, met up for breakfast today. Trisha had suggested going to this art gallery after they'd had a little lunch and Tommy'd agreed because it meant more time together. He'd had a nice time- thanks to her making up crazy and ridiculous stories about some of the paintings they'd seen.

"It's gonna be October in a few days. I can't believe this year's almost over," Tommy said, shaking his head.

"It did just fly right on by, didn't it? Everything's so fast now. I love and hate that," she said.

"Yeah. These past couple weeks have definitely flown by," he said.

"It feels like I've known you a lot longer than that," she said, then, smiled. "I know people say things like that all the time, but, it seriously doesn't feel like I've known you only two weeks."

"No, it doesn't," he agreed, slipping his hand into hers. "It's been a great two weeks, though."

"So, now we're doing "great". I guess you used the "you look fantastic" line just to hook me," she said, mock sadness.

"And it worked. I amaze myself sometimes," he said, mock arrogance. She laughed and he squeezed her hand.

"It _has _been great. Maybe we should've celebrated this anniversary at the gas station- since that's where we met," she said teasingly.

"Now, _that's_ original," he said with a laugh.

"We could've had a picnic there," she joked.

"I think it's more of a one-month anniversary thing," he quipped.

"You're right. Two weeks from now, I'll bring the picnic basket and you'll bring the blanket," she said, nodding.

"It's a plan," he said. They both laughed and her words registered in his brain. Two weeks from now... meaning she'd still be around. She'd been joking, but, still. '_She's not gonna get any complaints from me_,' he thought. Sure, she was still a little guarded about a couple things, but, what he did know of her, he liked. He wasn't going to push her about anything. Besides, it wasn't as though she was hiding something major from him.

"Trisha?" a male voice said behind them. "Hi, sweetheart."

Tommy and Trisha turned to see a man in an expensive-looking suit, half-smiling. His hands were in the pockets of his pants. He seemed a little familiar for some reason. Tommy looked at Trisha. Her eyes flashed with anger and confusion filled Tommy.

"Aren't you going to be polite, Trisha?" the man asked. "Or should I introduce myself?"

She scowled, then, looked over at Tommy- whose eyebrows rose. "Tommy, this is Victor Moretti... my father."

* * *


	4. Uh oh

_**Here's another update. It probably won't be the best, but, keep in mind that this is only the fourth chapter. LOL**_

_**Thanks, as always, for the continued support.**_

_**On we go...**_

* * *

**_Uh-Oh_**

Victor Moretti smiled at a stunned and confused Tommy. The older man stuck out his hand. "Tommy. It's good to meet you."

Tommy stared at the man for a few seconds, then, shook his hand. "Good to meet you, too, Mr. Moretti." '_Isn't her last name Barrett?_' he thought, trying not to frown.

"Call me Victor, please," the other man said. He shifted his gaze onto his daughter- whom now looked as though she was ready to explode. "Trisha, sweetheart, why didn't you tell us about the new man in your life? Our family can certainly be strange, but, not embarrassing."

"Tommy and I haven't been seeing each other long," Trisha said briskly.

"Ah," Victor said, nodding. "But, now that I've met him, surely he can meet the family."

Trisha's eyes blazed, but, she spoke calmly. "He can."

"Perhaps we should set up a time and date," Victor said, looking into her eyes.

"Daddy... I'll be glad to talk to you about all of this and whatever else you want later. Now isn't exactly the best time," Trisha said through clenched teeth.

"You're right, darling. My apologies. Well, I think I'll be leaving now. Quite urgent business matters to attend to. Again, Tommy, it was nice meeting you," Victor said, then, smiled at Trisha. "Good-bye, princess." He turned and began walking away.

Tommy stared after him. He didn't know what, but, something very strange had just happened. It was clear that Trisha wasn't crazy about her father. '_But, why, though? I know she said their relationship was complicated. What made it that way?_' he wondered silently.

Trisha looked at him. "Ready to go?"

He looked at her. "Where?" he asked, his confusion leaping a little higher.

She bit her lower lip, then, replied several moments later. "How 'bout an early dinner? My treat."

"You don't have to-" he began.

"Want to. So, how about it?" she asked with a smile.

"Sounds great, but..." his voice trailed off.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "You seemed upset when you and your dad-"

"That's because of what I told you- my relationship with him is complicated," she said.

'_I got the feeling it's more than that_,' he thought.

"Tommy, it's sweet of you to be concerned, but, I'm fine. The thing that just happened with my dad... it's not exactly rare," she said with a light laugh.

Tommy nodded. He wasn't convinced. Not even slightly. Something was going on and it went deeper than "my father's just not easy to get along with all the time". Maybe Trisha _was_ hiding something big. Like a dark, horrible, family secret. Then there was the fact that Victor Moretti seemed a little familiar to him for some weird reason.

'_Have I gotten myself into something I should get out of before things go any further_?' he wondered silently.

"Tommy?" Trisha said, her voice snapping him out of his thoughts. "You still here on Earth with me?"

Tommy blinked a couple times, then, almost laughed out loud. '_I'm being ridiculous! She gets annoyed by seeing her father and I'm thinking the worst_,' he thought, shaking his head. It did seem silly, but, the small amount of suspicion wouldn't leave. Well, he did know one thing for sure. He didn't want to stop things with Trisha before they really got started. She was a great person. He smiled at her.

"Let's go have that dinner," he said, taking her hand again.

* * *

It was now the third Friday in October- three weeks later- and on this particular night, a get-together was taking place at Tommy's house. The guests were Hayley, the first eleven rangers and Trisha. The purpose of the get-together was for Tommy's friends to meet Trisha. Anyhow, Tommy and Adam were standing in the kitchen.

"I'm glad we've finally met her. I was starting to think she was a figment of your imagination," Adam said- causing Tommy to laugh. Adam smiled. "She seems like a nice person, Tommy. I can see why you like her."

"Yeah. I've really enjoyed these last few weeks, man," Tommy said.

"Have you met the rest of her family yet?" Adam asked.

"No. Ever since her dad mentioned it in the park, she hasn't said another word about it," Tommy said.

"This thing about her dad in the park. When you told us about it, well... it just seemed pretty strange. The way he was just... there," Adam said.

"Strange isn't the word. The guy gives off vibes I can't even name," Tommy said, sighing. "I don't think Trisha wants me to meet her family. I know that'd seem like a good reason to maybe back off, but, I don't wanna do that, Adam. The more time I spend with her, the more time I wanna spend with her."

"Then, backing off would definitely be a bad idea. After all, you're dating her, not her family. Things are still fresh. Maybe she needs more time to feel comfortable about you meeting them," Adam said.

"You might be right," Tommy said, nodding.

* * *

"She seems to be quite taken with that young man," Victor said to Will Romano in a quiet voice two weeks later. It was Friday afternoon and the two men were in Victor's study.

Will stopped pacing back and forth across the room and scoffed. "No disrespect, Victor, but, Trisha's common sense is obviously on vacation. I can't believe she's been seeing this guy for almost two months now. I mean, what the hell could be so fascinating about a teacher?"

Victor chuckled. "As much as I love my daughter, I'm inclined to agree with you, William."

"She can't honestly believe she'll be really happy with this guy when she can't even tell him the truth about herself," Will grumbled.

"William, if you want Trisha to accept facts, you'll have to help her," Victor said.

"You know Trish. Stubborn as all get out. But, I'm not giving up. I still love your daughter. I don't know how to stop. It still twists me up inside that she actually thought she had a perfect reason to call off our wedding," Will said.

"I can't think of a man that'd make a better match than you for my daughter," Victor said truthfully.

"Thank you, Victor. That means a lot coming from you," Will said.

"It was very disappointing- not to mention shocking- when Trisha ended things between the two of you," Victor said.

Will shook his head slowly. "Right now... we'd probably be expecting our first child."

"More grandchildren would be pleasing," Victor said.

"Well, you'll get them and Tommy Oliver won't be the man that provides. Trisha knows that they can't last. It's just not possible. She's living in a dream world," Will said. Determination filled him. "I'm gonna get her back and we'll carry out the original plan- which is getting married. I'll succeed because nothing or no one can stand in the way of true love. "

"You have to eliminate all obstacles in your path in _any_ manner you see fit and I'm more than willing to give you any assistance you need, William," Victor said, a dark expression on his face.

"I know you are, Victor," Will said with a smile, then, turned and exited the room.

Victor picked a framed photograph up off of his desk and stared into her eyes. "I know you didn't always like the way I went about handling situations, Adella," he said to his late wife's picture. "But I have to do what's best for our daughter... even if that means permanently removing the source of her phony happiness."

* * *


	5. Truths&Secrets

_**I wanted to update DKOL because, well, I just wanted to.  
**_

_**Hope y'all enjoy. If ya don't, go on easy on me. LOL.**_

_**Oh, and Zeo? Good news for you. What we've been talking about is finally mentioned in this chapter. Not by Trisha, but, still.**_

* * *

_**Truths&Secrets**_

It was now the first Thursday in December and on this particular evening, Kimberly was in the kitchen cooking dinner and talking to Aisha on the telephone. Kimberly had moved into Jason's apartment three weeks earlier.

"You guys are really gonna be married in a month! Time's flown," Kimberly said, laughing.

"Tell me about it. I can't believe I'll be a _wife_ in just a few weeks," Aisha said happily. She and Zack Taylor had gotten together over three years ago and they'd been engaged nine months- they'd been living together seven months. He was a dance instructor and she was manager of a pet shop. "And you'll be one soon after, girl."

Kimberly grinned. She and Jason had chosen to marry in March. "I know! I can hardly wait, Sha. Hey, where's Zack right now?"

"He went to the store to pick up a few things. Where's Jason?" Aisha asked.

"Shower," Kimberly replied. "We've got to set another shopping date, you know. Christmas will be here before you know it."

"Yeah. It can get so fierce and crazy in the malls during the holidays. But we can handle it- especially since we're known as fierce and crazy in the mall anyway," Aisha said.

Kimberly laughed. "Like it's our fault that sales have scary power." They talked for a little while longer and after they'd said their goodbyes, Jason walked into the kitchen. Kimberly flashed a smile at her fiance. "Dinner'll be ready soon, sweetie."

"Smells great," he said as he stepped up next to her.

"Thanks, Rex," she said. "By the way, are you up for some Christmas shopping with Aisha and me- and possibly Zack? Aisha and I wanna go this Saturday."

"Since it's the holidays, I'm in. But, if I get assaulted by some psycho shopper, it's on your head, Pinky," Jason said- causing her to roll her eyes and laugh. He smiled. "I just hope you won't be that psycho shopper."

Kimberly growled and pointed her wooden spoon at him. "Call me a psycho again and I'll make ya pay, Scott."

"Then, I'll be good. It'd be pretty embarrassing to get killed by a spoon," he said with a laugh.

* * *

"You really think so or are you just saying this to make me smile like a geek?" Trisha asked Tommy, raising one of her eyebrows.

Tommy laughed. "I really mean it, Trisha. The food is good."

It was now nine days later- Saturday morning- and Trisha had invited Tommy over to her place for breakfast. One second after doing so, she'd questioned her sanity- seeing as how she wasn't known for her superb cooking skills at all. But, she'd decided to take the risk anyhow for goodness only knew what reason.

"Good? You do realize _I_ cooked this, right?" she said, looking at him in amazement.

"I suspected it," he joked. "Trish, it's fine- seriously. Try the eggs."

"Well, you're still alive, so, it's obviously safe," she said, picking her fork up. She took a deep breath, then, ate a forkful of eggs. Her eyes widened and fork dropped back onto the plate. "It's _edible_. This is so rare for me."

"Come on. It's not like you're the world's worst cook," he said.

"I'm in the top ten, believe me. A part of me's gonna stay convinced that this breakfast was a fluke," she said, then, grinned at him. "Tasting anything I cooked was a bold move."

"Or maybe I did it because I like you so much that I'd probably eat a piece of ketchup-covered cardboard if ya asked me to," he said, smiling.

"Oh, no. You figured out what I planned for dinner," she said, winking. He laughed and she grinned again. "You really are a special kind of guy, Dr. Oliver." Then, her eyes widened again. "Hey, these pancakes are decent, too! I should have flukes like this more often."

"Even though this is the first time I've ever tasted your cooking, I still don't think your cooking's as bad as you said it was," he said.

"You'd have been singing a different tune had you been around six months ago for my pathetic attempt at a homemade chocolate cake," she said before drinking some of her orange juice.

"It's a good thing Rocky wasn't. His heart breaks at the _thought_ of anyone messing up _anything_ chocolate," Tommy said- causing her to laugh. "So, was your mom a good cook?"

"She was an excellent cook. Her cakes were outta this world," she said, a soft smile on her face. "She would have liked you."

"Well,_ I _already like one thing about _her_," he said.

"What's that?" she asked with a confused frown.

"I like the fact that she gave birth to you," he said, smiling.

"Sitting here with you makes me happy about that, too," she said, smiling as well.

* * *

"What exactly are you waiting for?" Mike Moretti demanded of Will that afternoon. The two men were in Victor's study.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Will asked Trisha's oldest brother.

"Trisha! What else? You say you want her back, yet, you haven't made a move," Mike said, glaring at the other man in annoyance.

"I've gotta have a _plan_, Mike. Why are you so impatient? You never cared about my relationship with Trish," Will said.

"I _do_ care about her relationship with that teacher. You have to get my sister the hell away from that guy and you need to do it fast, Will," Mike said.

Will laughed and shook his head. "You've gotta stop ordering people around. You've been like this since we were kids and it's gotten even more annoying. The old man's still alive- meaning you're not king of _anything_ yet. Relax."

Mike was about to snap a reply until Natalia appeared in the doorway. He sighed deeply. "What do you need, Nat?" he asked his wife.

She looked from him to Will. "Lunch is ready. We simply can't eat until the two of you join us."

"We'll be there in a minute," Mike said.

"Darling, you do realize that the kids are hungry," Natalia said calmly.

"Then, let them _eat_, Natalia. Dammit! I don't have to be there in order for them to do that," Mike said, rubbing his temples.

Natalia's eyebrows rose. "Is that your not-so-subtle way of telling me that I am giving you a headache, honey? Instead of behaving in such a classless manner, perhaps you should take the mature approach and just tell me how I'm-"

"Natalia... we're in the middle of a discussion here," Mike said through clenched teeth.

"Very well," she said, then, turned and walked away.

Will snorted. "What a woman."

Mike's eyes went dark. "Don't disrespect my wife. Your only concern should and will be my sister and getting her away from that teacher."

"If you don't think I'm moving fast enough, why don't you get her away from him?" Will said, thoroughly irritated.

Mike chuckled. "Truthfully, there's probably no need for anyone to do anything. Things always seem to have a way of coming out. Trisha can't keep this up forever. Sooner or later, she's gonna have to accept the fact that she'll never be able to have a normal, nice life and she'll have to accept whom she really is... the daughter of a mob boss."

* * *

Bianca Rhodes sat in a cafe in Stone Canyon that afternoon, watching as Aisha Campbell and Zack Taylor sat several tables away, laughing and talking. The twenty-six-year-old, African-American woman had been watching the happy couple for the last few months. She was confident they wouldn't notice her now.

Jealousy and fury filled Bianca. Those two emotions had been her best friends lately. For the billionth time, she wondered if Zack ever even thought about her or the good times they used to have. Did Aisha's "sweet and incredible love" erase his memories of Switzerland?

'_Well, it doesn't even matter. Let him have his holiday with her. They better make the most of it because when it's over and it will be, I'll be giving Zack a present he'll never forget_,' Bianca thought, looking away from the couple.

* * *


	6. Mind blowing

_**Hello, people. Here's a hopefully decent update for y'all. My desire to write has not been strong AT ALL lately- actually, it's been non-existent for some terrifying reason... but, I'm gonna try and push on through anyway. (crosses fingers)  
**_

_**Naturally, I love and appreciate the support everybody's continued to show.**_

* * *

_**Mind-blowing**_

It was now three days after Christmas- Saturday evening- and Zack was whistling a tune as he headed for his car. He was holding a pizza box. He and Aisha had decided to go Italian tonight. Aisha. He grinned. '_I'm gonna be a married man in exactly a week_,' the original black ranger thought happily.

Zack was more than ready to marry Aisha. There were no cold feet or jitters and he was positive there wouldn't be any. He couldn't wait to officially start his life with her. He unlocked his car door and was about to open it until he heard a female voice say his name. He looked to his right to see Bianca Rhodes. _Bianca_? His jaw dropped in astonishment. It'd been almost ten years.

"Hey, there, Taylor," she said with a soft smile.

Zack blinked a couple times. "Bianca! This is... wow!" She was definitely one of the last people he had ever expected to see again.

"Wow it is," she said with a light laugh.

He gawked at her for a few seconds, then, sat the pizza on top of his car and refocused on her. "It's been a long time, B." They'd been really great friends in Switzerland and had even dated a few times. He'd been sad to see her leave the Peace Conference. Losing her friendship had been hard.

She nodded. "For sure."

He shook off his shock and flashed his trademark smile. "It's great to see you again," he said sincerely, then, stepped forward and hugged her.

"You, too, Zack," she said after they disentangled. "You look good."

"Thanks. Time's been pretty kind to you, too," he said, nodding. "So, what are you doing in Cali?"

"Visiting relatives. I've been here a couple weeks and I was actually hoping I'd run into you. How've things been? Anybody special in your life?" she asked.

His eyes lit up. "_Special_ ain't strong enough, Bianca. I'm marrying an amazing woman in a week."

"Oh, is that right? Well, congratulations, Zack. I wish you all the best and your bride-to-be is a very lucky lady," she said, grinning.

"Thanks, but, I'm the lucky one," he said. 'So, how 'bout you? What's happening in your world?"

She shrugged casually, then, leaned back against his car. "Not a whole lot. Just working at a regular ol' job, living in a regular ol' apartment and driving a regular ol' car. As for the love life, this girl's flying solo these days."

"You still living in Chicago?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I am. Say, how's Trini and Jason? Are the three of you still close?" she asked.

"They're good. We're all as close as ever. Jason's marrying Kim Hart- I told you about her- in March," he said.

She nodded, then, sighed and stood up straight. "Okay, Zack. The lighthearted chatter and playing catch up is gonna have to wait."

Her tone caused his eyebrows to raise. "Is everything all right?"

"No," she said sharply. "Everything's crappy and there's something you need to know."

"What is it?" he asked, concerned and curious.

"You... you're engaged to be _married_," she said, shaking her head slowly.

He gasped in mock surprise. "Say _what_? Get outta here! Man, life and its shockers."

"No jokes right now, okay? This is serious," she said tightly.

"What is, Bianca?" he asked in a low voice.

"I... no. No. I can't do this here," she said, then, looked down at her feet.

His concern and curiosity grew. "Listen, B, why don't you trail me home? That way, we can talk _and_ you can meet Aisha."

Her head snapped up and a half-smile appeared on her face. "That's a good idea, Zack. Actually... it's an _excellent_ idea."

He nodded. "All right. Ya know, I hope you stick around for awhile."

She cocked her head. "I intend to."

* * *

Tommy hurried to his front door a few minutes later- after hearing the doorbell- with a grin on his face. He and Trisha were going to stay in, watch a couple movies and just relax, basically. He unlocked and opened the door to find a guy he'd never seen a day in his life standing there. The grin became a confused frown.

"Hey, man," the stranger said.

"Hey," Tommy said slowly.

"Guy, we really need to talk," the man said.

"Who are you?" Tommy asked.

The guy laughed. "I guess I should've covered that one first, huh? Sorry. I'm Will Romano and you and I need to discuss Trisha Barrett."

Tommy's eyes widened slightly. "How do you know Trisha?"

"Trish and I grew up together. She's one of my oldest friends. Our families go way back and our dads are business partners," Will said. "Victor informed me that you're the new man in her life."

Tommy was about to say that Trisha had never mentioned the guy until he remembered all over again that talking about her personal life wasn't exactly one of her favorite hobbies. What could Will want, though? "Okay. But, why do we need to discuss her and how did you know where I live?"

"Because I'm one of the few people that know her better than she knows herself and I know where you live because I can be almost insanely protective of Trisha at times. It's very important to know about people she choose to spend her time with- especially a guy she's dating," Will said.

"You're her friend, right?" Tommy said.

"Right," Will said.

"Well, do you really think she'd appreciate you having me checked out _and_ showing up at my house like this?" Tommy asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"She wouldn't, but, it's for her own good and she knows it- deep down. Listen, I'm only here to give you fair warning. Trisha's one of my favorite people, but, there are certain things about her. Things that a lot of guys couldn't and wouldn't accept or understand. No offense, but, I get the feeling you're one of those guys," Will said, then, took a deep breath. "Her family and I feel it'd be best if the two of you went your separate ways before things get really serious. It'd be best for you both."

"I get being concerned for a person you care about, but, Trisha and I don't need anyone deciding what's best for us," Tommy said, already beyond annoyed.

"Believe me. I wouldn't be here if I thought you two _weren't_ making a mistake. But, you know what? I'll go now and you never have to worry about me coming here again. Just... just think about what I said," Will said seriously, then, turned and began walking away.

Fifteen minutes later, Trisha rang Tommy's doorbell and he answered several moments later. She grinned. "Hey, you." Then, she noticed his expression and frowned. "Are you all right, Tommy?"

He smiled faintly. "Come on in." He stepped aside, she stared at him for a few seconds, then, entered the house. After closing and locking the door, he led the way into his living room.

Trisha turned to him after they sat on the sofa. "You've gotta tell me what's wrong. You don't want me to go nuts, do you?" she said with a light laugh. "Although, I don't have a very long trip anyhow, right?" When she saw that the joking was having no effect on him, concern filled her. "Tommy, please tell me what's wrong."

He looked at her and sighed. "Earlier, something weird happened. Your friend Will showed up and-"

"My _what_?" Trisha exclaimed before she could stop herself. Had he just said Will?

Tommy looked at her in confusion. "Your friend Will. Will Romano. Anyway, he showed up and told me that you and I should break up because there are things about you that I wouldn't be able to accept or understand."

Scorching hot fury began bubbling deep within Trisha. She couldn't believe he'd gone this far! '_I told that jackass to stay outta my life! I hate him_!' she fumed silently.

"Trish, there's something about that guy that bugs me. I don't know what, but-" Tommy was saying.

"Sorry to cut you off, Tommy, but, I have to go and deal with something," she said, standing.

He stood as well. "What's-"

"I promise I'll come back. This is just something I really need to do. I'll try not to be too long," she said, managing to keep her voice even. Then, she kissed him softly on the lips and began heading away before he could say another word.

* * *

"I gotta thank you, Bianca, for telling me all these Zack stories," Aisha said a couple minutes later with a grin. "I might have to use a few at the wedding."

"Woman, if you do that, I'll-" Zack began.

"You'll what, honey?" she said sweetly.

"I'll cry like a baby," he said with a sheepish grin. She laughed and he pulled her closer to him. They and Bianca were sitting in the living room, talking and laughing- they'd had the pizza already, of course.

"So, Bianca, how long will you be in California?" Aisha asked.

Bianca shrugged. "Maybe a couple more weeks. I like it here a lot. By the way, I love this apartment. Beautifully decorated."

"Thanks to my love and life right here. The woman's got great taste," Zack said, smiling fondly at his fiancee.

Aisha smiled back. "True. I'm marrying you, aren't I?"

"Aisha Taylor for the rest of your life, baby. I love that," he said.

"I love it more," she said.

Bianca decided she could no longer take it. "Well, it's nice to see some people so damn happy," she said bitterly. The couple looked at her in surprise and she laughed and shook her head. "Ya know, while the two of you are in your little bubble, the rest of us are having to deal with real life! How 'bout some sympathy?"

"Bianca, what are-" Zack began.

"But, hey, I ain't surprised! It's like I never existed, isn't it, Zack?" she said, anger in her eyes and voice now. She sprang to her feet. "But, that's fine! Because I've got a gift for ya- one that will forever change your life."

"What's-" Aisha and Zack began.

"First off, I want you to know that I blame you for so much, Zack. I honestly do. Because of you, my life hasn't been all that peachy," Bianca said harshly, glaring at him.

"Bianca, I think you need to calm down and-" he began.

"Remember when I told you about my life in Chicago, Zack? I left out one thing. Besides, having a regular ol' car, a regular ol' apartment and a regular ol' job, I'm also a regular ol' mother- to your daughter," Bianca said, her eyes narrowing.

* * *


	7. Intensity

_**Here's yet another update for ADKOL. It's at least half-decent.**_

_**It's late, so, I apologize for any errors you may see.**_

_**Thanks for the feedback- it's more encouraging than y'all realize.**_

_**On with the show...**_

* * *

_**Intensity**_

Bianca's completely stunning and unexpected confession had rendered Zack and Aisha speechless. The couple sat stiffly, gaping at the angry and obviously bitter woman. It was as though someone had pressed "pause" on a remote. Everything inside of Zack and Aisha had frozen. Bianca, however, was now shaking with unadulterated fury.

"Well, don't just sit there like a couple of idiots," she snapped. "I didn't just tell you it was gonna rain tomorrow. I told you about Zack's child."

Aisha was the first to recover. The former yellow ranger stood slowly and looked into Bianca's angry, dark eyes. Zack continued to be stiff as a board. Aisha stared at Bianca for what seemed like an eternity, then, spoke two words in the flattest tone...

"Get out."

Bianca blinked, taken aback. "What?"

"Get. out. of. this. apartment," Aisha said, her voice now cold and hard.

"What? What do you mean 'get out'? Aisha, did you hear what I _said_?" Bianca exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"You came through loud and clear. Now, it's time to leave," Aisha said icily.

"I tell you two about Zack's daughter and you tell me to leave? Are you crazy?" Bianca asked incredulously.

Aisha's coldness was instantly replaced by the hottest rage and it showed on her face. "Crazy? _Crazy_? You come into my _home, _lose it and choose one of the worst ways possible to tell my fiance that you have a child with him and _I'm _the crazy one?"

"I'm not-" Bianca began.

"You're probably lying!" Aisha yelled angrily. "Do you honestly expect Zack to just _believe _you? And where the hell do you get off blaming him for the way your life turned out? You made your own choices and he had nothing to do with any of them! So, why don't you get the hell outta here and go whine to somebody else?"

Bianca's eyes blazed. "_Whine_?!"

"There probably isn't even a child! If there is, Zack's not gonna just accept what you said! If you think he will, then, you're way more out there than I thought. Get out!" Aisha screamed. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd been so pissed. This was unbelievable!

"You can shriek 'til the cows come home. I'm not going anywhere until Zack remembers that he can talk. Maybe I should help him," Bianca said harshly, then, stepped up to a dazed Zack and began lightly slapping his cheek. "Hey, Zack, wake up already!"

Aisha's fury increased and before she knew it, she shoved Bianca hard, nearly making the woman fall. "Don't _ever_ touch him. Take your crazy lies and get out, Bianca. Never approach Zack or me ever again. I mean it."

"Don't shove me again, Aisha. If you do, you won't like what comes next. I'm not a person to cross. I'll only let you get away with it this time because you just had a huge shock," Bianca said, glaring hatefully at the shorter woman.

Aisha ignored her and sat next to Zack. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Zack?" Her voice was soft. "Baby, I know you were just blown away, but, I really need you to come back to me. I really do."

That seemed to do the trick. Zack looked at the woman he loved, then, Bianca. Her words hit him all over again and red-hot anger began filling him. He sprang to his feet. At the moment, he didn't even remotely resemble the good-natured Zack Taylor and it was understandable- considering the situation. "Girl, did you leave your_ brain_ in Chicago?"

"I'm-" Bianca began.

"Telling me I have a child? A _child_? And I can't believe the way you did it! You totally disrespected my fiancee! What the hell happened to you, Bianca?" he exclaimed, looking at her in disbelief.

"Aisha! Always Aisha! All you care about is _her_!" Bianca yelled. "There _are_ other people, Zack! You are so-"

"Stop acting like a brat and tell me about this kid," Zack said in a steely tone as Aisha stood once again.

Bianca's eyes flashed. "This _kid_? Zack, how can you act so-"

"Just tell us," Aisha snapped.

Bianca looked at her. "A month before I left Switzerland, Zack and I slept together once. Some things were happening in my life at the time and it was kind of a comfort sex thing. I needed-"

"I know that already, Bianca," Zack said impatiently. "Move it along."

"Fine," she snapped, then, sighed. "About six weeks after I left, I found out I was pregnant and I started tripping out because you and I had used protection. Then, I remembered that didn't necessarily matter. It was obviously defective. Anyway, I couldn't believe it and I sure as hell didn't want to. I mean, I was almost eighteen and a human life was growing inside of me. My whole _world_ had turned upside down, Zack."

"If this is true-" he began.

"_If_ it's true?! Zack, we have an eight-year-old daughter named Ariel," Bianca said.

"What are you after, Bianca? Huh? What are you looking for? Why would you make up a crazy story, come to my hometown-" Zack was saying.

"I'm not making it up!" she shrieked almost hysterically. She took a deep, shaky breath and placed her hands on her hips. "I had your baby, Zack. You _are_ Ariel's father. She's here in California. She's with my relatives right now. You need to see her so you'll know that I'm telling the truth."

"Let's say you aren't lying. Why the hell would you wait _eight_ years to tell me about my own child?" he demanded. He truly wanted know what had happened to her. Had he ever really known this person? His head was spinning and his emotions were going nuts.

"I had my reasons," she snapped, then, laughed bitterly. "I've been in California for _months_, Zack. I've kept a close eye on you. When I found out you were planning to marry _Aisha_, I knew it was time I told you about Ariel. Seeing how disgustingly happy you two were-"

"So, you've been stalking us," Aisha said, then, shook her head. "Wow. You are beyond messed up."

"No, I'm the mother of Zack Taylor's child and I've gotta give my daughter the family she deserves," Bianca said fiercely.

Zack's eyebrows raised. "If you think I'm leaving Aisha, you're outta your freakin' mind."

"You're actually choosing her over your own flesh and blood?" Bianca exclaimed, her eyes wide. She shook her head in disappointment. "You're so not the Zack I knew back in the day."

"If this kid really exists, I want a paternity test. If it turns out I'm not the father, I want you to get and stay the hell out of my life," Zack said with a harshness that surprised him.

* * *

Will was sitting on his leather sofa in his condo, drinking a glass of Scotch, when his doorbell rang. He looked at his watch. It couldn't be Livvie- the curvaceous redhead he'd met a few days earlier. '_She's over an hour early. I guess she couldn't wait_,' he thought with a lewd smile. He placed the glass on the coffee table, stood and started swaggering towards the door. He supposed he couldn't blame her.

When he unlocked, then, opened the door, his mouth was introduced to a fist and he went flying backwards. He groaned when he hit the floor, then, began gingerly rubbing his mouth and stared up at the ceiling. "The hell..."

"Get up, you jerk," came Trisha's angry voice.

He lifted his head and saw his ex-fiancee's furious expression. "Trish... are you insane?"

"I said _get_ up," she snapped.

"All right, all right. Relax, will ya?" he said, then, stood a couple seconds later. He touched his mouth and winced.

She kicked his door shut, then, began pummeling his chest with her fists. "You bastard! What the hell's your problem? How _dare_ you show up at Tommy's house! You have nothing to do with my personal life and if you _ever_ do anything like that again, you'll be begging me to kill you!"

He grabbed her wrists and stared hard at her. "Knock it off, Trish. I was only trying to do what you're obviously too scared to do."

She yanked her wrists free. "You had no _right_ to-"

"You're Vic Moretti's daughter," he snapped, ignoring his mouth's agony. "Get out of that fantasy world of yours before you get your little boy toy killed."

His words made her tense up. A chill washed over her.

"Come on, Trish. You're letting this thing with Tommy go too far and you know it. He's not the man for you, sweetheart. Let him go. Get rid of him, so you and I can start fresh. I still love you more than anything on the planet. I promise you, baby, things will be better this time around," he said, reaching out to touch her face.

She backed away, her anger returning in full force. "Keep your pathetic, empty promises to yourself, Will. We've been over for a long time and I'd _never_ come back to you. Even if I was available to do so."

"You can't seriously mean that," he said in a low voice.

"When I fell out of love with you, I still cared about you. But you know what? I feel nothing now. _Nothing_," she said solemnly.

"You're not... you can't be falling in love with him," he said, shaking his head slowly.

"Tommy's everything you're not and I'm happier than I've been in a long time," she said.

"But, you're lying to him and yourself. Why choose a guy that can't fit into your world over-" he was saying.

"It's not my world. How many times am I gonna have to go over this with everybody?" she said, throwing her hands up.

"Trish, you know that you're playing a dangerous game. Drop the guy for your own good," he said.

"It's only been a few months, but, I seem to connect with Tommy in ways I've never connected with anyone," she said, meaning it.

"All right, why don't we just cut the crap here? If you don't tell him the truth, I will," he said, his eyes darkening.

* * *


	8. Nobody Leaves

_**Well, here's another update for ADKOL. (There won't be any Zack/Bianca drama in this chappie, but, it returns in the next one).  
**_

**WARNING**: This chapter is **rated M** for** mature content**.** If that makes anyone uneasy, I won't be offended if you choose not to read the last part of the chapter.**

_**Thanks to all readers and reviewers. Your interest in this story makes me feel good about my writing skills.**_

* * *

_**Nobody Leaves**_

Trisha stared hard at Will. Her eyes were filled with an almost frightening fury. It would be so like him to try and ruin her life just because she wouldn't give him what he wanted. She wasn't going to allow it. She slowly made her way back up to him. In spite of her rage, she spoke calmly.

"You're right, Will. This all has to end," she said. "But I'll be damned if I let you be the one to end it."

"Trish, you can't-" he began.

"I'm gonna tell Tommy. When I leave here, I'm gonna go back to him and tell him the truth. Enough of my secrecy and selfishness. He deserves the truth," she said seriously.

"It's for the best," Will said quietly.

"It is," she agreed. "He'll probably never wanna see me again, but, it's a price I'll have to pay." Her voice was very unhappy. "But I'm gonna remember every, single second we spent together with a smile." She took a deep, shaky breath, then, turned and headed for the door.

"Trish," he said just as she was about to open the door. She turned to look at him. There was no fury in her eyes now. Only sadness. Will- whom was suddenly feeling uneasy- swallowed hard. "I know that I've got a lotta faults and I know you don't believe I care about you, but, I do. Am I jealous of your feelings for Tommy? Yeah. Yeah, I am. But it's more than that. I want what's best for you."

She nodded. "You know what I want, Will? I want everybody to accept and respect the fact that I've been a big girl for a long time now." With that, she turned and exited the condo.

* * *

Trisha smiled tightly when Tommy opened the front door to his house. On the drive here, all she'd been able to think about was how amazing their time together was. She was fighting the tears that wanted to come with all she had in her. It was no easy task- especially with him standing right in front of her. The knot in her stomach was incredibly tight.

He frowned in concern. "Are you okay?"

"I really need to talk to you," she whispered.

His concern grew and he stepped aside. "Come in." She entered, he shut and locked the door, then, the two of them headed for his living room. After they were seated, he looked at her. "What's the matter?"

The tenderness and worry in his voice almost made her fall apart right then and there. "I owe you a couple explanations." How she was even managing to speak was an absolute mystery to her.

He sighed. "I'm guessing this is about Will," he said.

"Some of it," she replied, then, took yet another deep, shaky breath. "Will and I grew up together, but, he wasn't just a friend. We became a couple when I was nineteen and got engaged three years later."

"Oh," Tommy said. He wasn't exactly shocked. He'd gotten the feeling that Will wasn't being totally honest about his connection to Trisha. "What happened between you guys?"

"Will happened. He became a person I didn't believe I could love. It had to end. The final straw was finding out that he'd been cheating on me with one of my best friends for three months. It's horrible and disgusting, but, it actually kind of helped. We ended over three years ago," she explained, then, shook her head slowly. "He has this idea that we can start over."

"Which is why he wants me outta the way," Tommy said.

She shifted a little. "It's one reason. The other... well, this is where explanation number two comes in. Tommy, I am falling in love with you."

He hadn't been expecting to hear this, but, it made him happy. "I'm falling in love with you, too, Trisha."

The words made her feel a combination of joy and misery. "I have to tell you the truth about me. It's probably gonna make you angry and you'll probably tell me to get outta your sight. I, I won't blame you."

"Trish-" he began.

"It was selfish of me to keep this a secret as long as I did and I'm so sorry, Tommy. I really am. Getting involved with me is probably the worst thing that's ever happened to you," she said, her voice no longer even.

"You couldn't be more wrong," he said, looking at her in disbelief. "Trisha, whatever it is, it won't change anything."

"Yes, it will. Tommy... my father is a mob boss," she said forlornly. The admission made her lose the fight with the tears.

Tommy could only stare. Mob boss... . A dozen emotions began rolling around in him. Mob boss? Her father was in the... then, realization hit him hard. Of course. That explained why he'd felt a sense of familiarity when he'd met Victor that day in the park. Victor Moretti was one of the most powerful crime bosses in California. '_I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner_.' But, then, he'd been so focused on Trisha herself, so happy she was in his life, that he hadn't spent much time thinking about who her father really was. Wow.

The silence was understandable, but, it was killing Trisha. "Tommy, I'm sorrier than you'll ever know. It was unbelievably stupid of me to put you in such a dangerous situation. I'm not saying you can't take care of yourself, but there are just some things a lot of us can't beat. If anything ever happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." Her face was now wet with tears. She stood, feeling overwhelming sadness. "I'm g-gonna do y-you a favor and l-l-leave you the hell alone."

Then, she hurried from the room and up to the front door. '_What the hell was I thinking? I should've turned him down that day at the gas station- even though I'm so glad I didn't. No. No. I never should've gotten him mixed up in this! He deserves to be with a woman that won't cost him anything_.' The idea of Tommy and someone else intensified her misery. But, it had to be done. Tommy's happiness was all that mattered. She unlocked the door, but, before she could open it, a hand appeared and locked it once again. She groaned. "Tommy, please don't make this harder than it already is."

"So, this is it, huh? Just 'we had a great ride, but, so long, sucker' and off you go, right?" he said.

She turned to protest, but, stopped cold when she saw an amused expression on his face. Confusion filled her. "Tommy, what..."

"I listened to what you had to say. It's your turn now," he said casually.

Her confusion increased. "What could you possibly have to say to me- besides get lost?"

"Why don't we go back into the living room?" he said, then, turned and began walking towards the room.

His behavior was beyond weird, but, curiosity made her follow him. After sitting down, he looked into her eyes and her heart skipped a beat. '_Okay, you've gotta get outta here, Trish_,' she told herself. But, she couldn't move. He grabbed a box of Kleenex off his coffee table and handed it to her.

"Would you like anything to drink? Are you hungry?" he asked.

'_What_?' "No. No, I'm fine. Tommy, what are you- what_ is_ this?"

He smiled. "I forgot to tell you how great you look tonight. I'm sorry."

"Tommy, what's going _on_?" she asked.

"I want you to hear me out, Trish. If you still wanna go after I'm done-" he was saying, then, stopped abruptly, cocked his head slightly and frowned. "If you still wanna go after I'm done, I won't let you."

Her jaw dropped. The words were matter-of-fact. Casual, yet, serious. They weren't meant to inspire fear. "Tommy, you shouldn't even _want_ me here."

"I'm disappointed you didn't tell me sooner, but, I'm not mad. You had more than a good reason to do what you did. 'My dad's in the mafia' isn't the greatest topic to discuss," he said.

"You got that right," she said quietly.

"The important thing is that you told me," he said.

"Yeah. I knew, deep down, it'd only be worse if I'd put it off even longer. But, I was being selfish because you are an amazing guy and- no. No excuses. I'm sorry, Tommy. I'm so sorry. You don't need me complicating and endangering your life, so, I'll just get outta here and you'll never have to see me again," she said.

"Someone obviously didn't hear me when I said I wouldn't let them go," he said lightly.

"But-" she began.

He cupped her face. "You're not your father's daughter. You're the woman I'm falling in love with."

"I-" she began.

"Trisha, believe this. Nothing's gonna scare me off. We have something incredible here and I don't wanna lose it."

"Neither do I. But, why would you want-" she was saying.

"You can't give your dad, Will or anyone else any power. Follow your heart," he said.

"You know I don't wanna end this. But, I don't want anything to happen-" she was saying.

"I'd rather deal with whatever your family throws my way than lose you," he said seriously. He began slowly caressing her face. "Let's fight for love."

His tone and words melted her and all she could think to say was: "Kiss me."

His mouth was on hers instantly... .

* * *

A few minutes later, the two of them were standing in Tommy's bedroom, face to face. Their eyes were filled with sheer desire. He slowly ran his hands up and down her arms. As always, his touch was sending tingles of excitement up her spine.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice husky.

"No... I'm positive," she said.

"Then, I should get some protection before I lose all control here," he said. He wanted to go slow and fast at the same time. There were some wild sensations going through him.

"I'm on the pill and disease-free," she said.

"So am I- minus the pill part," he said- causing her to laugh. He smiled, then, pulled her into a deep, hungry kiss. She let him take full control and moaned in pleasure as his tongue deeply explored her mouth. Their desire climbed to a higher level. When it ended, their heads were spinning like crazy.

"I think I should ask if you're sure," she said breathlessly.

He released her, took a step backward and removed his shirt. Before she could react in any manner whatsoever, he removed his shoes and socks, then, undid his pants and discarded them as well. Before he could rid himself of his boxers, something awakened in her and she stepped up to him.

"Let me," she said in a sweet tone, but, with a seductive smile. She firmly gripped the waistband of the boxers and pulled them down. He wordlessly stepped out of them. She took hold of the hem of her shirt, but, he stopped her.

"A gentleman returns favors," he said with a sexy wink, then, removed her shirt.

Several minutes later- she was free of all her clothing- they were on his bed. He groaned as she dropped the softest kisses on his chest and stomach. Then, her lips were on his. The sweet, gentle kiss quickly became passionate and feverish and she was on her back before she knew it... .

Moments later, she was writhing, moaning and gripping the sheets as he kissed her inner thighs. The fire inside of them both was starting to rage completely out of control. Their need and want was becoming dangerously urgent.

After "getting to know her body", he positioned himself atop her and entered her slowly... slowly. Once he'd buried himself deeply within her, they both cried out ecstatically at the incredible feeling of being one. He stayed perfectly still and locked eyes with her.

"Nothing's gonna scare me off," he said, his voice thick with passion. He placed her hands on either side of her head and interlaced his fingers with hers.

She groaned when he began moving deeply and moderately within her. She was sure she'd see stars if she closed her eyes. The sensations were almost terrifying. Their passion-filled moans, groans and grunts grew louder as the thrusts deepened... quickened. She whispered his name- her breath warm against his ear. As far as they were concerned, nothing or no one else existed right now... .

* * *


	9. Confirmation

_**Another update for D.K.O.L. **_

_**The feedback is much appreciated and encouraging- much more than y'all realize. Thanks so much, folks.**_

_**I guess I should get on with the show now... .**_

_**

* * *

**_

_**Confirmation**_

Tommy and Trisha lay in each others' arms about forty minutes later, thoroughly enjoying the contentment they felt in their souls. Trisha was silently wishing they could stay like this forever. A part of her believed that this was all just some beautiful dream. That he'd vanish if she made even the slightest movement.

"Tell me I'm not gonna wake up any second now," she said as she relished the warmth that was coming from his body.

"This is very real, but, I wouldn't mind proving it to you a second time," he said in a teasing tone.

She laughed, then, sighed and looked up at him. "I hate to ruin the mood, but, I wanna apologize again. I should've told-" She stopped speaking the instant he placed two fingers on her lips.

"I accept your apology, Trish, but, I want you to stop beating yourself up. When I told you I understood, I meant it," he said, then, took his fingers off her mouth. "We can put it behind us."

She smiled. "Are you _sure _you're real?"

"I really wouldn't mind spending the rest of the night showing you just how real I am," he said with a wink. She trembled and he grinned. "But I guess I can settle for using words. There's no way I can just walk away from what we have. I wanna see how far we can take it."

"So do I, Tommy," she said seriously, then, remembered what he'd said earlier about not letting Will or her father have any power. '_He's right. I can't let them control my life. That's not even who I am anyway_.' "My family's... dangerous. They are. But you said you can't be scared off and I believe that. It's good that you don't scare easily... it's also totally sexy."

He laughed. "Thanks." He kissed her forehead. "We can fight together."

"I'm more than willing," she said. "We'd make a pretty good team."

"You can wear one of those tight, catsuit thingies and... on second thought, scratch that. I'd be so distracted, I'd lose a fight with a fly," he said.

She pictured that and laughed because the very idea was just hilarious. "You and a fly. Hell, I'd pay good money to see it. Or we can skip the fighting and I can just model the catsuit "thingie" for ya."

"That's one of the greatest ideas I've ever heard in my life," he said, nodding.

"Of course it is," she said with mock arrogance. "Less than outstanding ideas _never_ enter this brain."

"I didn't say outstanding," he said, a playful gleam in his eye.

"Which is exactly why I'm gonna sic the fly on you," she said- causing him to laugh. She thought of something then and bit her lower lip.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern immediately replacing his amusement.

"Your family and friends. Tell them about my dad as soon as possible. The people you love should be warned," she said.

"You're right," he said. "But I know there's more you wanna say."

"Yeah. As much as I like your friends, their opinion of me might change and that's understandable. If they don't feel comfortable-" Once again, the words ceased when he placed two fingers on her lips. She looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"They like you and they'll keep liking you," he told her, moving his fingers away from her mouth a second time. "Trust me."

"You know I do," she said. "But they shouldn't have to deal with my dad or-"

"Trish?" he said.

"Yeah?" she said.

"My friends and I used to protect the planet," he said, looking into her eyes. For some reason, he felt that revealing his own secret would bring them closer.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I inspired the invention of Barbie. The years have been excellent to me, don't cha think?" she said, then, rolled her eyes and sighed. "Tommy, I love it when we joke around and tease as much as you do, but, I'm being completely serious right now. This is-"

"Trisha, I'm not kidding," he said, then, took a deep breath. "My friends and I used to be Power Rangers. _I've_ got quite a history with rangering, to tell the truth. If you need proof, that can be arranged. But, it's true. I've got no reason to make this up."

She stared at him in disbelief, uncertain of what to say. What was someone supposed to do after the person they were involved with told them that they were an ex-superhero? '_Suggesting intense therapy should probably be one of the first things to come to mind, but, he's right... he's got no reason to make this up. What would he have to gain from it?_' she thought as shock washed over her. "Wow" was what came out of her mouth.

"I know how crazy it sounds-" he began.

"It's pretty wild, but, I believe you," she said. She did. She was also touched that he told her. A soft smile appeared on her face. "Why don't you tell me all about it?"

* * *

It was now a week later- Saturday evening- and Zack and Aisha's wedding reception was currently in progress. In spite of very, very recent events, the wedding had gone smoothly and everyone was in good spirits. Zack and Aisha had met Bianca's daughter Ariel five days earlier- they'd been introduced to the little girl as 'friends'- and Bianca had been_ livid _when he'd told her that he wanted the paternity test done _after _he married Aisha.

Kimberly, Jason, Tommy and Trisha sat at a table, watching Zack and Aisha, the other former rangers and several other people dance. Kimberly grinned. "I'm so happy for Zack and Sha. Look at them. They're glowing."

"It's great to see them happy," Jason agreed.

"And it was a beautiful wedding," Trisha said. She was glad to see Zack and Aisha's faces all lit up and glad that Tommy's friends weren't acting differently around her after hearing the truth. Yeah, she had believed Tommy when he'd told her their opinion wouldn't change, but, it was still nice to witness it.

"I'm happy for them, too. But, this thing with Bianca... oh, man," Tommy said, shaking his head. They'd all heard about it a few days earlier and "stunned" was too weak a word. They- excluding Trini and Jason, of course- hadn't met Bianca yet, though.

Jason sighed. "I know. Bianca's changed for the worst."

Kimberly rolled her eyes at the thought of the woman that'd been hoping to come between Zack and Aisha. "I can't believe that witch had the nerve to blame Zack for her life."

"Or the nerve to wait almost ten years to tell him about a child that could be his," Jason said.

"If that little girl _is_ Zack's, I hope Bianca doesn't seriously think he'll just walk away from Aisha," Tommy said. Naturally, Zack would fulfill his responsibilities as a father, but, he'd never leave his wife for Bianca or any other woman.

"If she does, then, she's in for the rudest awakening. A blind person can see how much Zack loves Aisha," Trisha said as she smiled at the newlyweds.

"Absolutely," Kimberly agreed, then, narrowed her eyes as determination filled her. "Let Bianca try and pull any stunt she wants... we'll all be right there to help Zack and Aisha fight her."

* * *

Mike Moretti knocked loudly and impatiently on Will's door that night. '_This idiot had better be home. We don't have a lotta time to waste_,' Mike thought in annoyance. He'd been incredibly keyed up all week and his well-known, hot temper had been hotter than ever. "Open the damn door, Romano- _now_." His tone was no-nonsense.

The door to the condo opened several moments later and revealed an irritated-looking Will. "What the _hell's_ your problem, man?" he demanded as he glared at Trisha's oldest brother.

Mike responded by pushing past him and stalking into the condo.

"Come on in. Care for some brandy?" Will said sarcastically as he closed the door. "Why are you here, Mike?"

"We haven't heard a thing from Trisha all week," Mike snapped angrily. "I thought you said she dumped that guy."

"She said she would," Will retorted. "And not hearing from her is kinda common, remember?"

Mike yelled an obscenity in Italian. "Listen, you worthless, pathetic waste of human skin, you were going on and on about how much you love my sister and yet, you're doing_ nothing_! Trish has been managing to elude us all week! Nobody knows if she and Tommy are still seeing each other."

"Maybe they are," Will said flatly.

"Maybe they... what the hell's wrong with you?! This isn't anything to be calm about!" Mike yelled.

"Look, it's not like I want them together, all right?" Will said harshly, then, he sighed heavily. Discomfort filled him. "It's just... listen, you didn't see the look in her eyes last week. She was unbelievably sad about the idea of dropping the guy. That look isn't something that's been easy for me to forget."

Mike charged up to him, his eyes flashing dangerously. Victor Moretti's eldest child looked almost inhuman at the moment. "So, what are you saying, Will? Huh? Huh? You're saying we should just back off? You're gonna do that- after _vowing_ to get my sister back in your life?"

"I'm saying that seeing her that unhappy didn't exactly make me wanna break out the champagne," Will said truthfully. "I wasn't expecting to get shaken the way I did."

"To hell with her unhappiness!" Mike bellowed. "Tommy Oliver can't be part of her life! If you're gonna sit on your ass,_ I'll_ take action. My old man should've known better than to trust you to handle this!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Mike, I know from personal experience that you, of all people, don't need to take _any_ action- especially when you're like this," Will said.

"Screw you, man. If you don't get Tommy outta the picture, _I_ sure as hell will," Mike said in a deadly tone.

* * *

It was now two weeks later- Friday evening- and Zack and Aisha Taylor were sitting in their kitchen, staring down at the envelope that lay in the middle of the table. It'd come in the mail today. The paternity test had been done eight days earlier... . Aisha locked eyes with Zack.

"You're gonna have to open it sooner or later, baby," she said in a low voice. She completely understood his hesitance, though.

"I know," he said. His heart was beating rapidly. But, then, why wouldn't it be? It's not as though he found out whether he was a father or not every day.

"Do you want me to open it?" she asked. Anything to make it easier for him.

"No, no. No, thanks, baby. I'll do it," he said, then, lifted the envelope off the table. He took a deep breath, opened it and pulled out the results. After studying them, he looked up at his wife with an unreadable expression.

"What does it say?" she asked.

"It says that... I'm a father," he said.

* * *


	10. WHOA

_**Hello, everybody. I wanted to update DKOL, so, here it is.**_

_**As always, readers/reviewers have my undying gratitude.**_

_**

* * *

WHOA  
**_

'_It says that... I'm a father_.' The words had hit Aisha Taylor like a ton of bricks. She stared at her husband as shock and hurt began slowly gripping her. She was hurt because someone else had given birth to Zack's first child. There was no doubt she would love Ariel like her own, but, knowing another woman had had Zack's first child caused her more pain than she'd expected. '_It says that... I'm a father_.' Her stomach tightened. "You're a father." It felt as though she hadn't even said the words.

Zack's emotions now showed on his face. He shook his head slowly. A father. He was a father. He had a daughter. Him. Wow. He looked at the results once again. "I have a kid and I missed the first eight years of her life."

Anger at Bianca instantly overpowered Aisha's other feelings and her eyes flashed. "You missed out because of Mommy Dearest," she said hotly. "I can't_ believe _a woman would do something like that! I mean, there are a lotta guys that want nothing to do with their children and Bianca _chose_ not to tell a guy she _knew_ would do his duty as a father! That's just scary and insane, Zack!"

"She's got a lotta problems," Zack said.

"Problems that she blame you for and expect you to solve. I'm actually sorry about whatever happened to her, but, there's no way I'm gonna just stand by while she tries to ruin your life," Aisha said fiercely. "We're a team, Zack."

He smiled at that. "For the rest of our lives, Mrs. Zackman." She laughed and he reached across the table for her hand. "I love you, Aisha."

"I love you, too," she said seriously, then, sighed. "I'm happy that Ariel's gonna be in our lives, but... the fact that another woman had your first child stings."

"I'm sorry, baby," he said, his eyes and voice full of genuine sympathy. He couldn't even try to imagine what this was like for his wife.

"It's okay, sweetie. I'll deal. The important thing is Ariel," she said.

"I've gotta call Bianca," he said.

"Yeah," she said. "Not really something to look forward to."

"You got that right," he said, then, placed the results on the table, stood and headed over to the telephone. "I'd love never having anything to do with her again, but, I know that can't happen."

"True. We have to respect the fact that she's Ariel's mother," Aisha said.

A short while later, knocking sounded on the Taylors' door. Zack took a deep breath, then, headed up to it. He opened it to find Bianca standing there with her arms folded across her chest and an annoyed look on her face.

"What couldn't you tell me over the phone, Zack?" she said snappishly.

"Come in, Bianca," was all he said.

She stalked into the apartment and rolled her eyes when she saw Aisha sitting on the sofa. "What is it?" she snapped. "I have better things to do right now."

Zack joined his wife on the sofa and motioned for the mother of his child to have a seat. "It's about Ariel."

Bianca glared at the couple hatefully for a few seconds, then, sat down in a chair. "What about her?"

Aisha and Zack looked at each to her, then, at Bianca. "We got the results of the test today," Aisha said.

"And you were right. Ariel's mine," Zack said.

"_Really_? She's yours?" Bianca said- mock astonishment. She scoffed and rolled her eyes again. "Thanks ever so much for telling me what I've known since before she was born. That's really kind of you." She looked into Zack's eyes. "Now that I've been proven right, what's next?"

"We sit down with Ariel and talk to her about this, then, set up a visitation schedule," Zack said in an "isn't it obvious" tone.

"Are you seri- Zack! What about you and Aisha?" Bianca asked.

"What about us?" he asked.

"Well, you two aren't gonna _stay_ married, are you?" Bianca said, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, we are," Aisha snapped. "We've been over all of this, Bianca. Drop it."

"She's right, Bianca. We're married and that's never gonna change," Zack said.

"That's ridiculous!" Bianca exclaimed. "We have a daughter to raise together."

"I don't know what bubble you live in, but, parents raise kids without being_ together_ all the time," Aisha said in annoyance.

"But why should Ariel have to go through that? She deserves to have her parents together," Bianca said, glaring at the other woman.

"Don't act like you're thinking about Ariel here. You're thinking about what you want," Aisha said.

"Are you really sitting here telling me that I don't care about my daughter?" Bianca said incredulously.

"That's not what I said and you know it," Aisha said.

"Like hell I do," Bianca said harshly.

"My husband's not leaving me for you. Let it go and search for a life," Aisha said in the same tone.

"You know what? I've had more than enough-" Bianca was saying.

"All right, all right. Just chill out," Zack said, then, sighed. "Bianca, where's Ariel right now?"

"With my cousin," she replied.

"Well, we need to talk to her. She needs to know who I am as soon as possible," he said.

"How about bringing her over tomorrow?" Aisha suggested.

"Look, Aisha, that particular conversation shouldn't include you, all right?" Bianca said.

"Bianca-" Zack began.

"No, it's okay, sweetie. I actually agree with her. Ariel needs to talk with you guys first. I'm having lunch with Kat anyway," Aisha said.

"All right," Zack said, then, gave Bianca an irritated look. "Aisha is Ariel's stepmother and you're gonna have to cope."

* * *

Tony Moretti walked into his father's study six days later- Thursday evening- and up to the desk. "All right, Dad, I'm here. What's going on and will this take long? Because my wife and I kinda had plans."

"Don't worry. I'm sure Vanessa will call one of her boys on the side if ya stand her up," Mike- whom was standing by Victor's desk- told his younger brother coldly.

"That's hilarious, Mikey. Comedy's always been your strong suit," Tony said without even looking at him. "So, what's this about, Dad?"

"What do you think, moron? It's about Trish and that damn Tommy," Mike said angrily. "Also that wimp Will."

"Will has disappointed me greatly," Victor said, rubbing his chin. "He appeared to be so determined to win my daughter back and now he's given up."

"No disrespect, Dad, but, you should've known better than to trust Pretty Boy," Mike said. "He'd rather find new ways to love himself. Will's always been a freaking joke. Trish has the crappiest taste in men."

"Dad, was I called here just to talk about my sister's love life?" Tony asked in a bored tone.

Victor's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Don't tell me _you_ are now a cheerleader for Trisha and Tommy."

"I've thought about it and decided I don't_ care_, Dad. If Tommy Oliver and Trish wanna be delusional enough to think they can work, whatever. Let 'em have their little honeymoon phase. I've got my own life to live. Hell, it's much more interesting anyhow," Tony said, shrugging.

"So, you're not gonna help out because it's too _boring_ now? Typical," Mike said with a snort.

"Wow. Mike, why don't you have a drink or go for a walk or watch a movie with your wife and kids? Or sing show tunes. Feed ducks. Who cares? Just slow it down a little, all right?" Tony said, then, refocused on Victor. "Listen, this thing with Tommy probably won't even last. If Trish has told him who she is, he might eventually head for the nearest exit."

"What if he doesn't, Tony?" Mike snapped.

"You never know, Mike," Tony said dully.

"Tony, this attitude forces me to wonder where I went wrong with you," Victor said.

"Dad-" Tony began.

"No, you know what, little brother? You're an idiot. Plain and simple!" Mike yelled. "You have no loyalty!"

"And you amuse me, Mike. We done here, Dad?" Tony asked.

"For now," Victor said coolly. Tony nodded, then, turned and headed out of the room. Victor shook his head. "That was not what I was expecting at all."

"Will turning on us is one thing- he doesn't matter. But, Tony? He's family! He should pay for this!" Mike said, a red haze clouding his vision. A terrifying fury was coursing through his veins.

Victor gave his eldest a warning look. "I won't hear of it, Michael."

"Dad, I know he's my brother and your son, but, we can't-" Mike was saying.

"I said I won't hear of it!" Victor bellowed, slamming his palm on the desk. "He's also your mother's son and no child of your mother's will die. Never bring this up again."

"Anything you say, Dad," Mike said calmly. '_But when I take over this organization- which will be soon- things are gonna be different and that's a promise_,' he added silently.

* * *

It was now the next day- Friday evening- and Trisha was staring at the three dresses she'd placed on her bed. She and Tommy would be going out to dinner in a couple hours and she was trying to choose something to wear. '_I think the blue one is the best choice_,' she thought, nodding. '_Or maybe the red one_. _Yeah, the red one. Definitely... or the green one_.' She groaned and rolled her eyes. Being a woman could be so annoying sometimes.

Just then, incredibly loud knocking sounded at her door and she jumped a little. "The hell..." she muttered before turning to exit her bedroom. The knocking grew louder and more impatient. "Relax! I'm coming!" Trisha yelled. '_Geez, does this person have to use the bathroom or something? Wow_!' She hurried up to her door, unlocked and opened it to find Mike there. Right. "Of course. Who else would knock like a total maniac? What do you want, Mike? Scratch that. I know what you want and you're wasting your time. Tommy knows the truth about me and he decided he isn't going anywhere. Now, I have to get ready because we're having dinner later."

"Trish, I need five minutes of your time," Mike said before walking into the apartment.

"Why can't you be like vampires and wait 'til you're_ invited_ to come in?" she said before closing her door.

"You've gotta break it off, Trish. If you care so much about this guy, show it by saving his life. Walk away from him," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Tommy doesn't scare easily, Mike. Neither do I, for that matter. Take your threats and-" she was saying.

"It's a fact," he cut in. "You know it is. You know how our family operates."

"Go home, Mike. Be with your kids and useless wife. If you don't wanna go home, then, hit the nearest bar. Just get the hell out of here," Trisha said, glaring at her oldest brother.

"Tommy's an idiot for trying to stick with you and you're an idiot for letting him!" he yelled angrily, the vein in his neck bulging. Then, he forced himself to take a few, deep, slow breaths. "Trisha, why don't you come over and have dinner with my family and me? Spend some time with your relatives."

"I told you I have plans. Even if I didn't-" she was saying.

"Remember how important family was to Mom?" he said loudly.

Trisha's eyes darkened. "Never go there again, Mike. I'm serious."

"You're still the same brat you've always been, you know that?" he said, his eyes blazing.

"Get outta my apartment," she snapped.

He let out an inhuman growl, then slammed her up against the door and gripped her throat. "I've got no problem with getting rid of you _and _your boyfriend," he said through clenched teeth as he squeezed.

* * *


	11. Death In The Family

_**Here is an update for A Dangerous Kind Of Love.**_

_**As always, I appreciate the feedback very much. A special thanks to Itachi's Apprentice for reading the whole fic and reviewing every chapter. I'm flattered you felt this fic was worth the time.**_

* * *

_**Death In The Family**_

Mike tightened his grip on his youngest sibling's throat and a wicked smile appeared on his face. "Baby sis, do you have any idea how easy it would be to drain you of your life? I mean, to just stand here and watch you gasp and plead with me... man. The _idea_ of that kind of power is pretty damn exciting, don't cha think?" He loosened his grip a little. "Anything to say?"

"You're not gonna kill me," Trisha said, looking into his eyes.

"You're right," he said as he removed his strong hand. "I won't do a thing to you and our worthless brother as long as the old is man is around."

"It's sad, really," Trisha said as she slowly massaged her throat.

"What is?" he asked, annoyed with her calmness.

"You," she replied. "You're so obsessed with power. It's pathetic."

"Is it?" he said, smirking.

"Very. You're also jealous," she said.

"Of what?" he asked with a laugh.

"Of the fact that I'm happy and that I succeeded in having a pretty decent life away from the family," she said. His eyes narrowed a little and she shook her head. "You've always done what Dad expected you to do or what you _believed_ he expected you to do. But I was determined to be more than just a child of Vic Moretti's and I made it. I did what I'd set out to do- in spite of all the interferences from my family. You hate the fact that, deep down, you actually admire me for it."

"Turning your back on your family is not admirable," he snapped.

"I turned my back on the lifestyle. I didn't want any part of it. I still don't and never will," she said. "See, Mikey, you hate that I- a _woman_- was strong enough to do what you obviously didn't feel you were strong enough to do."

"You think I couldn't have walked away if I wanted? Huh? I could have. Hell, I could be living in another country right now. But, I'm here. Why? Because, unlike you, I understand loyalty. And I _do_ happen to love power," he said.

"You went beyond loving it a long time ago," she said.

"Speaking of love, ya got any left for your family, Trish? Any at all?" he demanded.

"I've always loved you guys. I'm just not bananas about what you do or being controlled," she said.

"We are trying to look out for you- especially since you're not very good at doing it yourself," he said.

"That's your opinion and I couldn't care less," she said, then, rolled her eyes. "Now, why don't you leave? I told you I have to get ready for my dinner with Tommy."

"Do the guy a favor and drop him," Mike said.

Trisha turned and opened her door. "Bye, Mike. I'd say it was a pleasure, but, I don't wanna look like Pinocchio."

"I'm not screwing around here, Trish," he said.

"Neither am I. It _would _be a total lie if I said it was nice having you here," she said. He glared at her for several seconds, then, stalked out of the apartment- muttering curses. She waited a few moments, then, poked her head out and grinned at his retreating back. "Bye! Kiss my niece and nephew for me!" she said in a purposely sunny tone.

* * *

It was now eight days later- Saturday morning- and Rocky and Katherine, whom had been a couple for a year and ten months, were having breakfast in his apartment. Katherine- whom taught ballet- would be staying the weekend. Rocky- whom was a chef- watched his girlfriend as she talked about one of her students. A smile appeared on his face.

Katherine stopped talking and smiled as well. She cocked her head slightly. "What's on your mind?"

"Oh, I just couldn't help thinking about how gorgeous you look in the morning," he said.

"Mr. DeSantos! Are you saying I look like a horror film at noon and night?" she said, mock offense.

He laughed. "Miss Hillard, it's impossible for you to look anything but gorgeous during any time of the day."

"You are such a cute liar," she said teasingly.

"I try," he quipped- causing her to laugh. He smiled once again. "I love this, ya know."

"What?" she asked.

"You and me. Sitting here having breakfast and joking around. You make simple things so damn amazing," he said to the lovely blonde woman.

"Thanks, but, I can't take all the credit," she said with a fond smile.

"Hey, I happen to think you've got me beat in the 'amazing' department, ballerina," he said.

"Not a chance," she said.

"You do," he said.

"Do not," she said.

"Do, too," he said.

"Do not," she said.

"Do, too," he said.

"Do not," she said.

"Do, too," he said.

"Do not," she said.

"Shouldn't we be on a playground or something for this?" he said with a laugh.

"Definitely," she said, laughing as well.

"I gotta get something from my room. Be right back," he said, then, pushed his chair back, stood and headed out of the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned- with his hands behind his back. "How much do you love these mornings together, Kat?"

"I love them very much, sweetie," she said.

"Then, you'll have no problem wearing this for the rest of your life," he said, then, brought his hands out from behind his back.

Katherine's eyes widened at the sight of the small, velvet ring box he held. She was speechless. To say she hadn't been expecting this would've been putting it mildly. She gasped when he opened the box... it was one of the most beautiful rings she'd ever seen in her entire life. She was feeling so many different things at once. She watched as Rocky got down on one knee... her pulse rate instantly went into overdrive.

He took a deep breath. "Kat, I don't have a big, romantic, movie-type of proposal. It would've been nice, but, I know you don't mind that I didn't hide the ring in your food or anything. I just love you with all my heart and wanna spend the rest of my life trying to give you the kind of happiness you deserve. You're amazing and I want you to leave this planet as Mrs. Rocky DeSantos. Will you marry me?"

Tears filled her eyes. "Yes, I will, Rocky. As many times as you want." Her heart warmed when he grinned and slipped the ring on her finger. Immense joy surged through her and the tears began streaming down her face. "This ring is really gorgeous."

"Hey, it had to match the person I was giving it to," he said.

"Rocky, I can't even tell you how happy I am right now! I wasn't expecting this to happen, but, you know what? I think it was perfect timing," she said, grinning widely.

"So do I, ballerina," he said, then, brushed her tears away.

"Oh, I love you so much," she whispered, leaning forward.

"I love you, too," he said before pressing his lips to hers.

* * *

"That was a _great _dinner," Tommy said that evening, smiling up at Trisha. They were on her sofa and his head was on her lap.

"Thanks. I'm still in shock," she said with a laugh.

He laughed as well. "Trish, you're really _not_ a bad cook."

"Well, I'm getting better. I think I can thank you for that. _Everything's_ been better since you came into my life," she said.

"Aren't _I_ supposed to say something like that?" he teased.

"Yeah, but, I'm a rule-breaker," she said with a playful grin.

"One of the reasons you're so sexy," he said huskily.

"Ooh, that voice. Trying to get something started, Oliver?" she said, her eyes dancing.

"Would you kick me out if I said yes?" he quipped.

"Of course I would. I happen to be a lady," she said, mock snobbishness. He laughed and she grinned once again. "I just love you, ya know? I love you and I love the way I feel when I'm with you. I'm so glad you decided not to let me go."

"There was no way I could. I knew that letting you go would've been one of the biggest mistakes I'd ever made. I always knew you were worth it," he said, sitting up, turning and pulling her to him. "Actually, you're more than worth it."

"So are you. You are incredible, you give me happiness I never even knew existed and you have the most kissable lips," she said before kissing him softly.

"I love you, Trish. _You're_ incredible. You're also the reason gas stations will always have a special place in my heart," he said as he thought about the first time they had met.

She laughed. "I _love_ that we met at a gas station instead of a party or something."

"Same here," he said. "By the way, your lips are very kissable, too."

"Prove it," she said in a flirtatious tone.

"With pleasure," he said before capturing her mouth in a deep, loving kiss. He smiled when it ended. "I could do that all day long."

"I think our tongues would hate us," she said- causing him to laugh. She thought of something and smiled. "Care to dance?"

"Dance?" he said.

"I really wanna dance with you right now," she said. "Up for it?"

"Why not?" he said, then, stood and held his hand out to her. She took it and he lifted her to her feet. "I guess we should put on the music."

"Who needs it?" she said as she led him out to the middle of the floor. Then, she curled her arms around his neck and he curled his arms around her waist and the couple began slowly swaying. She looked into his eyes. "You know what I'd like to do one day?"

"What's that?" he asked.

"Dance with you in the rain," she said.

"No reason we can't do that... or other things in the rain," he said with a sly smile.

"Mmm. _That _would be wonderful," she said, grinning.

"You're telling me," he said, bringing her closer. "You know what? You were right about not needing music. This is actually a lot better."

"Most definitely," she said. Just then, knocking sounded on the door and she groaned in annoyance. She reluctantly let go of her boyfriend, turned and headed for the door. She unlocked and opened it to find Will there. The sight of her ex-fiance intensified her annoyance. Tommy narrowed his eyes and began walking towards Trisha.

"Hey, Trish. Tommy," Will said.

"What do you want, Will?" she asked.

"First, I wanna tell Tommy something," he said, then, sighed deeply. "Look, man, I'm pretty sure we'll never be friends and that's all right. But I can't help having _some_ respect for any guy that Trisha's interested in. I'm jealous- no doubt. After all, you've got a fantastic woman that I blew it with. But, I'm not gonna try and come between you guys."

"Will, why should we believe this?" Trisha asked.

"Because it's the truth. I realized that I really do wanna see you happy- even if it's not with me," he said seriously.

"If you mean that-" she began.

"I do. But, that's not the real reason I'm here. Trish, I know that in spite of everything, you don't hate your family. That's why I came over to tell you about Natalia," Will said- referring to Mike's wife.

Trisha frowned in confusion. "What about her?"

"She's dead," Will said quietly.

* * *


	12. Major Decisions

_**Here's the next chapter of DKOL. As usual, I'm hoping it's passable.**_

_**Y'all know how it goes: thanks for the wonderful feedback!**_

* * *

_**Major Decisions**_

Trisha's entire body went cold at her ex-fiance's words. Her sister-in-law was dead. Will had actually just told her Natalia was dead. Natalia was _dead_? That made no sense. Tommy- whom was standing behind Trisha- placed his hand on her shoulder, but, she barely felt it. All she could hear in her head were Will's words. '_She's dead_... _she's dead_... _she's dead_... .'

Tommy looked at Will. "Why don't you come on in, man?"

Will nodded, then, slipped past Trisha into the apartment. After closing and locking the door, Tommy took Trisha's hand and began leading her towards her sofa. Will sat down in a chair and watched the couple. The way Tommy was looking at Trisha caused jealousy, annoyance and regret to surge through him, but, he ignored it because this was what Trisha wanted and, also, there were more important things at hand here.

"What happened, Will?" Tommy asked as he slid a comforting arm around Trisha- whom was staring straight ahead with blank eyes.

"Natalia killed herself," Will replied. Tommy's eyebrows shot up and Will shook his head. "Mike told us about it a couple hours ago. He said he came home from a meeting last night and found her on their bathroom floor- next to an empty bottle of pills."

"Wow," Tommy said in a low voice. "Why did Mike wait to tell you guys?"

"Claimed he was too upset to talk to anyone last night," Will said.

"I wonder what made her wanna end her life like that," Tommy said. He knew that Natalia had not been one of Trisha's favorite people. Trisha had found her annoying and called her a phony, exasperating, drama queen. But she hadn't said a thing about hating her and he was sure she'd have never wished the woman dead. Tommy thought of something. "Why isn't the media all over this?" After all, Natalia was, well, had been a Moretti.

"They are. We actually found out from the news, then, called up Mike to find out what the hell had gone down," Will said, rubbing his hands over his face.

'_I didn't even watch the news or read a newspaper today. Neither did Trish_,' Tommy remembered silently. The two of them had been in such great moods all day and in their own little world. He couldn't help feeling a little guilty.

"I had no idea Natalia was depressed, ya know? She always seemed fine. Irritating- sorry to say- but, fine. Never seemed liked the suicidal type. But, I guess being married to Mike would drive any woman to that," Will said. He wasn't trying to be disrespectful- considering- but, Mike was an ass.

"I feel bad for their kids," Tommy said.

"Yeah. It's gonna be rough," Will said.

Trisha blinked and looked at Tommy, then, Will. "I don't know what to feel or think. Natalia and I weren't all that close. She got on my nerves a lot sometimes and I always thought she was crazy for staying with my brother. But, I never, ever wanted anything like this to happen." Tears filled her eyes. "Kayla and Tyler don't have a mother anymore." Her niece and nephew were only _five_ and _two_.

"Trish, I'm really sorry," Tommy said, hugging her to him.

"I'm even sorrier for those kids. Tyler won't even remember Natalia and Kayla probably won't remember much," Trisha said glumly as the tears streamed down her face. She was also thinking about her own mother. Her heart squeezed painfully. It didn't matter if you were five or fifty, losing a parent was nightmarish.

* * *

A week later, the reception that followed Natalia's funeral was in progress- at Victor Moretti's mansion. The large funeral had been very emotional. Mike and Natalia's kids had been with their nanny instead of at the sad ceremony- which made a lot of sense- and they were still with her. Mike was currently holding Natalia's bawling mother in his arms while Natalia's father stared at the floor. The man looked older than what he was. Trisha stood by a window with Tommy by her side.

"Thanks again for coming with me," Trisha told her boyfriend.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," Tommy said, squeezing her hand.

Trisha eyed Mike- whom was now crying loudly. "Tommy, follow me. I wanna talk to you about something." Tommy nodded, then, began following her out of the enormous room. Once they were in the den, Trisha took a deep breath. "I know you've noticed how weird I've been acting all week."

"Yeah, I have. But your behavior's understandable," he said.

"Well, I do wish I'd gotten along better with Natalia and I'm sorry that I'll never get that chance, but, that's not why I've been acting strange. You see, something's _off_," she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I think my brother killed his wife," she said softly.

Tommy's eyes widened a little. "But, that's not- Trish, I know your brother's a loose cannon, but, it actually _was_ an overdose that did it. The autopsy-"

"I know. I know it was an overdose. But you don't know my brother, Tommy. You don't know what his marriage to Natalia was like. She wasn't the strongest woman around. She pretty much did what he wanted," she said.

"Wait a second. Are you saying you think she killed herself because he... _told_ her to?" Tommy said, incredulous.

"I'm thinking he forced her to. He's always had a temper, but, it got a lot worse some time after my mom died. Mike can get way past scary if he wants to. He wanted his wife dead, so, he made her kill herself. That way, he can be in the clear," she said, her stomach turning at the thought. Her brother was seriously screwed up.

Tommy shook his head. Trisha's family was just... wow. '_She was smart to get a life away from this_.' He cleared his throat. "Even if you _are_ right, you know there's no way to prove it."

"With the Morettis, there never is," she said, closing her eyes.

* * *

That night, Bianca was sitting at a counter in a bar- finishing her second beer. Ariel was spending the weekend with Zack and Aisha. Bianca did not want to think about how much her little girl liked that bitch Aisha. She didn't want to think about how the three of them were probably acting like some happy, little family right now. Unfortunately, it was all she _could_ think about.

'_They better not try and turn Ariel against me and it'd be wise for Aisha to never forget that I'm the girl's mother_,' she thought bitterly. "Bartender, gimme another, please."

"Make that two," a male voice said.

Bianca looked to her left to see a well-dressed, dark-haired man sitting down next to her. He was nice-looking, but, he seemed tired. He had obviously had a long day. He looked her in the eye and a weird feeling washed over her. He smiled, a flirtatious glint in his eye. So, he wasn't _that_ tired.

"Looks like this night's gonna be pretty good," he said.

"You think so?" she said with a smirk as the bartender sat their beverages down.

"Oh, I know so. That's the thing about me. I have this way of just knowing things for sure," he said.

"I've always liked confidence in a person," she said before taking a sip of her beer.

"It's an excellent quality to have," he said, then, downed some of his beer. "So, are you here because you had a fight with your boyfriend or husband?"

"I'm as single as can be," she said.

"Too bad for you, but, great for me," he said, winking.

She laughed. "You _are_ confident, aren't cha?" She welcomed this. She welcomed anything that would keep her mind off the Taylor couple. They were the reason she was in this bar.

"Very," he said, downing more beer.

She drank more of her own beer. "You're putting me in a good mood. I'm feeling gratitude."

"I'm glad to hear that. There's nothing I love more than putting a smile on a pretty face," he said smoothly.

"And he's charming, too," she said.

He chuckled. "It never hurts and always works."

"Back to confidence," she said, grinning.

"More like conceit," he said, leaning towards her.

She leaned towards him. "And I still think it's cute."

"Making you my kinda lady. Listen, why don't we finish these drinks, then, go elsewhere to _discuss_ your, uh, _gratitude_?" he suggested.

"Best idea I've heard all day. I'm Bianca, by the way," she said.

"Mike Moretti," he replied with an engaging smile.

* * *

It was now five days later- Thursday evening- and Trisha was sitting in her apartment, with her bare feet in her foot spa. The vibrations and sound of the bubbling water was incredibly relaxing. Her feet were in paradise. '_I love using this thing_,' she thought with a small giggle. Honestly, she needed to go to an actual spa and get the full treatment. Everything had been so crazy lately and her latest decision would definitely make things crazier.

Trisha sighed. Her latest decision. She'd made it the day before- after thinking so much about it. It would not be easy for anyone, but, she felt- in her soul- that it was for the best. Telling everyone wouldn't be cake, but, it had to be done. '_He'll explode, but, it's the right thing to do. I know it is_.'

About two hours later, she and Tommy were on her sofa- watching television. Tommy had come over forty-five minutes ago. _He_ was the one actually watching TV. Trisha was still thinking about the choice she'd mentally made. Tommy looked over at her.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She sat up straight. "Tommy, there's something you should know. Don't worry. It's not a new, insane family secret or anything like that."

"What's up?" he asked, muting the television.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking about Kayla and Tyler," she said.

"Your niece and nephew," he said.

"They're so young and they've been through a lot. They deserve to have a decent life and that's why I wanna take them in... I wanna raise them," she said.

* * *


	13. Dangerous Hatred

_**I felt the urge to update, so, I did.**_

_**As always, I'm incredibly grateful for the wonderful feedback.**_

* * *

_**Dangerous Hatred**_

Tommy looked at his girlfriend in surprise. He certainly hadn't been expecting to hear her say what she'd just said. "You wanna_ raise_ them?"

"Yeah. I know it's a serious decision and a huge commitment, but, I wanna do it. I know that you and I have only been together a few months and you're probably not crazy about the idea of sharing me like that because kids those ages need-" Trisha was saying.

Tommy cupped her face. "I think it's great that you wanna take them in and I think you'd be good for them. I'm willing to help however I can. But, the problem is your brother. He doesn't really strike me as the type that would just hand his kids over to you."

"Oh, he will _definitely_ give me a hellish fight. Not because he's such a loving and devoted father. Because he's a jackass. Tyler and Kayla deserve a lot better," she said.

"No argument there," Tommy said.

"I love those kids, ya know? Mike's in no shape to take care of them. He has a lotta problems," she said.

"Are you sure you're really ready for this?" he asked.

"No," she admitted. "But, when it comes to kids, who's ever really ready, right?"

"Good point. It just won't be easy to make it happen. Like you said, Mike will fight you," he said.

"And I'll be fighting back. Mike learned a long time ago that I don't back down easily. You see, he could control Natalia. He_ loves_ to control women. It makes him feel like he has a reason for living. It's so pathetic," she said, rolling her brown eyes.

"Has he always been this bad?" Tommy asked.

"No, not always. I mean, he was annoying in a big brother kind of way. But, his temper became a lot hotter, shorter and darker after Mom died. I think she's the only woman he ever had any real respect for," she said. "After her death, he changed for the worse as far as women were concerned. It's like he hates them. I think, in a way, he feels Mom betrayed him by dying. A part of him feels like she just abandoned us."

Tommy nodded. Mike was more screwed up than he'd realized. Trisha's other brother- Tony- seemed all right, for the most part. '_But Tony's wife is another story. That woman's unreal_,' Tommy thought, remembering the way Vanessa Moretti had_ flirted_ with him after Natalia's _funeral_. Trisha definitely had an... interesting family.

"I saw Tyler and Kayla yesterday," Trisha said quietly. Sadness filled her. "Tyler kept asking for Natalia. It broke my _heart_, Tommy. This two-year-old boy was looking up at me and wanting me to give him something he can't have anymore." Boiling hot anger replaced her sadness and she began shaking. Her eyes darkened. "Damn Mike! He's such a heartless monster and I can't believe we're related! How the hell could he do this to his own kids?! He's responsible! I know he is! _Damn that bastard_!" She began sobbing violently.

Tommy wasted no time pulling her into his arms. He held her as tightly as possible. He hated to see her like this. He hated the position she was in. He began wishing there was a way to shield her from every kind of pain there was. For now, all he wanted to do was hold her. He knew that was no problem because he believed that it was all she seemed to need right now.

* * *

Trisha was sitting in the living room in her father's mansion the next evening- waiting to talk with him. He was in his study on the telephone. Trisha had come here to her old home the second she'd left work. She was filled with steely determination. The blonde woman looked around the room and her eyes landed on the family portrait hanging over the mantle. She, Tony, Mike and their parents had posed for it almost twelve years ago. She couldn't help smiling. They sure as hell weren't a normal family, but, they'd had some great times. '_Feels like a lifetime ago_,' she thought.

Vanessa sauntered in then, holding a wine glass. She smirked at Trisha. "Well, if it isn't my sister-in-law. What brings ya? You wanna be a Moretti again or something?"

"I'm here to talk to my father," Trisha said flatly.

"Where's that incredible-looking man of yours? You've got spectacular taste in men, Trishy. Tommy is all kinds of blazing, I'd love to get him on a leather couch or the top of some bar. Rawr!" Vanessa said with a grin.

Trisha stood and stepped up to her brother's wife. That determination inside of her strengthened. She knew Vanessa _too_ well, so, what she was about to say had to be said. "Vanessa, if you have an "open" marriage with Tony, I don't care. Whatever floats your disgusting boat. But, Tommy is off-limits to you and keeping that in mind would be a very smart choice."

Vanessa snorted. "Uh-huh."

"I'm serious. Stay the hell away from Tommy. If you see him out somewhere, act as though you don't know who he is and keep moving. If you don't and I find out about it, I'll hunt you down like the sleazy skank you are and rearrange that face you're so in love with," Trisha said in a low, calm voice.

"Well, aren't you just Daddy's little girl through and through?" Vanessa said, tapping her glass.

Before Trisha could reply, her father appeared in the entryway.

"Sweetheart, I'm available now. Come to my study," he said, then, turned and headed off.

Trisha looked at Vanessa. "I meant what I said. I don't need your usual crap on my plate right now." Then, she moved around the woman and began walking away. A couple minutes later, she was in her father's study- sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. He, of course, was in the desk chair.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I think Mike forced Natalia to commit suicide," Trisha said.

"And why do you think that?" Victor asked.

"Come on, Dad. We both know Mike and the kind of relationship he had with Natalia," she said.

"Trisha, I'll be the first to admit that your brother has issues. However-" he was saying.

"You know I'm right!" Trisha exclaimed. "Mike's responsible and I don't think he should continue to have custody of Kayla and Tyler."

"He's their father," Victor said.

"He can't take care of them, Dad. I think they should live with me. Those kids need what Mike can't give them," she said.

"You want to take those children away from their surviving parent. That falls under 'things they _don't_ need' Trisha," Victor said.

"Don't do this. Don't be all difficult because you see me as a major disappointment. Forget your anger and resentment towards me and think of your grandkids. Kayla and Tyler are very young and need stability," she said.

Victor glared at his daughter. "Even if I agreed that you should have them, it would not matter. Michael will never give you his children."

"I'm not expecting that. But, I'm gonna push this because those kids need me," she said fiercely.

"This is a mistake, Trisha," Victor said.

"The mistake would be letting them stay with Mike. What if he loses it and kill _them_?" she said.

"That's beyond absurd and you damn well know it," he said.

"Dad, in spite of who you are and what you do, we both know that family is important to you. That's why you shouldn't want those kids with your son," she said, then, scoffed. "Why did I even come here?" Then, she stood, turned and exited the study before he could say a word.

* * *

"Sure you can't stay a little longer?" Bianca asked as she stroked Mike's arm that night. The two of them were on a bed in a hotel room. They'd been staying at the hotel all week. She grinned. "One more hour, then, I'll let cha go."

He laughed. "Tempting- believe me- but, we both know I'll end up _not_ leaving. Again. Man, I'd love to stay, but, I gotta let my kids see me when they wake up in the morning. I mean, they'll never see their mom again, after all."

Bianca nodded. She knew all about the Morettis, but, couldn't have cared less. It had weirded her out to know that they'd had sex the day Natalia had been buried, but, she had gotten over it because Mike had been in serious need that night- so had she. This arrangement of theirs was working out beautifully and it kept her from thinking of _other things_ too much.

Mike began rubbing her arm. "What about you? You haven't seen or talked to your daughter all that much these last few days."

"That's true. Ariel means everything to me and I'm not gonna lose her," she said, narrowing her eyes. Yeah, she had to get out of here. As amazing as being with Mike was, she had to be with Ariel. The less she saw her, the less Ariel would want her around. '_Especially if that bitch has her way. She's not gonna steal another thing from me. No way_.'

"I'd love to hook up tomorrow night. Cancel any plans you have," Mike said, kissing her firmly on the lips.

"You got it," Bianca said easily to the demanding man. A very appealing idea popped into her head and she smiled. "I'm pretty lucky to be sleeping with the son of a mob boss."

"_Alleged_ mob boss," he said with a smirk.

"Well, I'd love it if you hooked me up with an _alleged_ hit man because I have a huge problem that needs to be solved fast," she said, looking into his eyes.

* * *


	14. Up In Flames

_**Here is the next chapter of DKOL.**_

_**Decided to up the rating. I was gonna stick with just rating the chapters for awhile, but, then, I really thought about it and chose to just up the rating altogether. That was the original plan anyhow. LOL.  
**_

_**As always, thanks for the amazing, continued support.**_

_**

* * *

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_**Up In Flames**_

"Baby... what did just you say?" Bianca asked her eight-year-old daughter the next day- Saturday morning. The two of them were in the guest room they'd been staying in- which was inside of Bianca's first cousin's house.

"I said I wanna have dinner with Aisha and Daddy tonight," Ariel replied. It hadn't taken her long to fall in love with Zack. "You should come, too, Mama."

Bianca fought hard to ignore her sudden rush of anger. She gripped the edge of the mattress tightly, took a deep breath and smiled at the girl. "I would really like that, sweetie, but, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?" Ariel asked with a confused frown.

'_Because I hate your stepmother with a fiery passion_,' she thought. She cleared her throat. "Because I kinda wanted you to myself today, baby. We were gonna do whatever you wanted and I was gonna cook your favorite foods. I'm... glad you like spending time with your father and Aisha, but, Mama was hoping it would be just you and her today." Sure, she'd told Mike she'd be with him tonight, but, she'd give him some excuse. She didn't want Ariel around Aisha today. '_I've gotta try and keep her from totally brainwashing my child_.'

Ariel grinned. "Okay, Mama!" she said before hugging her mother.

Bianca held her daughter tightly. '_Ariel's all I have- for now- and I'm not gonna let anybody turn her against me. That's why Aisha has gotta go_.' Mike had laughed about it last night, but, she'd been completely serious about getting rid of "Mrs. Taylor" permanently.

Ariel pulled out of her mother's embrace and looked at her. "But, can I be with Daddy and Aisha tomorrow? Please, Mom?"

Bianca stared at her for a few moments, then, sighed. "Yeah, sweetheart. You can be with them tomorrow."

Ariel cheered. "Can we eat breakfast now? 'Cause I'm soooo hungry."

"Why don't you go on in the kitchen. Your cousin Jada is cooking right now," Bianca said.

Ariel nodded, hopped off the bed and raced out of the room.

Bianca sat completely still... letting her hatred towards Aisha flow through her. She enjoyed the way it felt. Her eyes narrowed as she wondered for the millionth time how Zack could stay with the other woman. No way was he actually that much in love with her. Hell, he probably wasn't in love with her at all. Aisha had probably forced him into that ridiculous marriage. '_But, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because I'm gonna free you, Zack. I'm gonna free you and we'll have the life we should've been having all these years. It will not take you long to realize and accept that no one else could ever love you the way I do_.'

* * *

Adam was in the kitchen at the house he shared with Tanya- cooking breakfast for the two of them. He did it every Saturday. Tanya was still in bed- as far as he knew anyhow. '_Maybe we should have breakfast in bed- seeing as how we haven't done that in awhile_,' he thought as he flipped a pancake over. Then, he began thinking of how he and his wife should get away for a weekend. It'd be good for them.

"Sweetie?"

Adam looked over his shoulder to find Tanya in the doorway. She, of course, was still wearing what she'd slept in last night, which was one of his T-shirts. He couldn't help smiling. He'd always thought she looked cute in his shirts. A warmth washed over him as he remembered the first time she'd ever worn one of them to bed. "Morning, honey."

"Morning, baby," she said as she made her way up to him. "Everything smells delicious." She hugged him from behind.

"Thanks, but, was there ever any doubt?" he said teasingly.

"A bite-sized one," she joked.

"You're mean, but, it excites me," he joked back.

"Adam!" she said, mock astonishment. "You're not supposed to be naughty. Whatever would people think?"

"What can I say? I live to shock," he said, grinning.

"How are you at _receiving_ shocks?" she asked.

"All right, I guess. What's your secret? Are you really Tanya's twin sister or something?" he said with a laugh.

"Oh, I'm the real Tanya... the possibly pregnant Tanya," she said casually.

Adam dropped the cooking utensil he'd been using and turned to face his wife. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open. Pregnant? Had she seriously just said _pregnant_? "You... you're..."

She laughed. "I see that's one shock that won. I've been having the symptoms lately, so, I bought a home test yesterday. I didn't wanna tell you until I took it. Anyway, I just did and it's positive. Adam, we... might be having a baby."

Happiness replaced his shock. The very idea that Tanya might be standing in front of him carrying a baby that their love had created made him want to fly. He smiled. "Tanya, if we are, it's gonna be great. I'll be as happy as I was the day you became my wife."

"So will I," she said, smiling as well. "It's perfect timing, too."

"That's true," he agreed. "I can't wait until we find out for sure."

"Same here. But, I have a feeling that we're definitely pregnant," she said.

Adam's happiness increased. He felt like running around as though he'd eaten too much candy. A baby. They were most likely going to be a family. He, Tanya and their son or daughter. Family. He pulled her into a loving embrace.

* * *

Jason entered Kimberly's and his apartment with a sigh that night. He'd been out running some errands and he was now hungry as all get out. '_If Kim hasn't cooked anything, I'll just heat up a frozen dinner_,' he thought as he closed and locked the door. "Kimberly, I'm back!" he yelled. When he got no response, he headed for the kitchen- thinking she was there and engrossed in some telephone conversation with one of their friends. However, she was nowhere in sight. He turned and exited the room.

After checking the bathroom and bedrooms, he stood in the hallway, wearing a frown. Where in the world was she? Just then, his cell phone rang. He removed it from his pants pocket, looked at the caller ID and answered. "Kim, where are you?" he asked.

"I figured you'd be home by now. I'm on the roof of our building," she said.

'_What_?' "The roof? Why?" he asked.

"Come on up and find out," she said- the smile clear in her voice.

"Kim, what's going on?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

She laughed. "Seriously, come on up and find out. You really should." Then, she ended the call.

Jason pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it for a second. His curiosity began overpowering his hunger. He returned his phone to his pocket, then, turned and practically hurried for the door- wondering what his fiancee was up to. A short while later, he opened the door that led to the roof and stepped out. He looked to his right and his eyebrows shot up.

There was a table and two chairs. On the table was a white tablecloth, two plates loaded with food, a bottle of champagne sitting on ice in a bucket, champagne glasses and candles. Music was streaming from the speakers of a small radio and Kimberly was standing next to the table with a huge smile on her face.

"Hungry, Rex?" she said as he started towards her.

"_Very_. This is nice, but, what made you wanna do it?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I wasn't in the mood for an ordinary Saturday night."

He smiled. "Well, it looks great and so do you."

"Thanks," she said, then, gestured towards the food. "We'd better eat. The last thing I need is a tyrannosaurusy, future husband dying of starvation." He laughed and they both sat across from each other. Kimberly took a sip of her champagne. "I think we should do this once or twice a month."

"I'm game," he said, then, picked up his fork.

"We're really getting married in three weeks," she said, a bolt of happiness going through her.

Jason felt the same bolt. "It can't come fast enough for me, Pinky."

"Feeling's mutual. Jase, I cannot _wait_ to become Kimberly Scott," she said.

"Could you say that name again?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"Kimberly Scott," she said with a soft smile. A short while later, she spoke up again. "Let's dance."

"All right," he said, pushing his chair back and standing. She stood as well and they met up around the table. He pulled her to him, she curled her arms around his neck, he wrapped his arms around her waist and they began swaying to the music. "Is this one of your mix CDs?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm," she said, then, sighed almost dreamily. "I love this song. It kind of reminds me of us. A lot of songs remind me of us."

"Including Old MacDonald?" he teased- unable to resist.

"Well... yeah. But all I'd want on _my_ farm is a Jason-Jason here, a Jason-Jason there, here a Jason, there a Jason, _everywhere_ a Jason- Jason," she said, a playful and flirtatious glint in her eye.

"A helluva lot of Jason, baby," he said huskily.

"That's cool because you're the one thing I can never get enough of," she said.

"Works both ways. I love you, Kim," he said, staring down into her eyes.

"I love you, too, Jason," she said.

* * *

It was now three days later- Tuesday morning- and Trisha was basically dragging herself to her kitchen. She wasn't the biggest fan of mornings. At the moment, she'd love nothing more than to hop back into bed and grab a couple more hours of sleep... . But, if she wanted to keep a lovely, little roof over her head, she had to work. Luckily, she enjoyed her job- most of the time.

She headed up to the refrigerator and the cordless telephone rang just as she was about to open it. She groaned. Geez. The blonde turned and headed for the phone. She grabbed it and saw Chloe Hamilton's name flashing across the caller ID screen. Chloe worked at Alluring Style with her- she was an assistant fashion editor as well. "Chloe? What's up?" Trisha asked.

"What's up? You can go back to sleep is what's up!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Huh?" Trisha said, confused.

"The magazine, Trish. Our workplace. It's insane!" Chloe said. She sounded incredibly upset.

"What about the magazine? Chloe, what happened?" Trisha asked.

"It's gone!" Chloe said.

"What? What do you mean 'gone'?" Trisha asked incredulously. She was completely awake now.

Chloe took a deep breath and began speaking again. "Burned. It was burned down to the ground."

* * *


	15. Accusations

_**I wanted to crank out another update, so, here it is.**_

_**You all know how it goes: thanks so much for the ongoing support.**_

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_**Accusations**_

Trisha gasped and nearly dropped the telephone. "Burned? Chloe, are you serious? _Burned_?"

"Believe me, I wish I wasn't serious," her co-worker said. "The magazine was burned down. It obviously happened late last night- meaning that no one was around to get hurt, fortunately."

Trisha headed over to one of her kitchen chairs and plopped down in it. Burned. Her head began spinning wildly. "I can't believe... . How could this happen?"

"Excellent question. Whoever did this is insane and they wanted it to be known that it was arson because- get this- they left a gasoline can sitting right in front of the ruins. Have you ever? What is with some of the people in this world?" Chloe said, sighing.

"This is crazy," Trisha said, sounding more than a little breathless. Astonishment was crashing over her like waves. The place she'd worked at for almost four years was actually _gone_! She'd woken up this morning to get ready to go there and had been told it wasn't even necessary. What the hell? A mental image of the building flashed before her eyes. How could it no longer exist?

"As horrible as this is and as much as I'll miss the place, there's a bright side. The other branches of Alluring Style. We could go to the one in New York and find out if they're hiring. If they are- even though I know it's a pretty slim chance- everything will be great. But, if we don't end up working there, it'd still be awesome living in Manhattan," Chloe said.

Trisha laughed a little in spite of the way she was feeling. "Yeah. I don't hate Manhattan."

"So, whaddya say, Trish? It's spontaneous, but, exciting! I've been thinking about moving for some time now. Are you in?" Chloe asked. "I mean, we're both unattached, after all. Nothing to really hold us here."

"Not exactly true for me, Clo," Trisha said.

"Why not? You can always _visit_ family and friends and all that," the other woman said.

"But, I don't wanna _visit_ my boyfriend," Trisha said.

"Oh, right! I can't believe I forgot Tommy. I'm sorry about that," Chloe said.

"Yeah, it's a little too early in the game for a long-distance relationship," Trisha joked, then, sighed deeply. "I honestly didn't think I'd wake up and find out I have to go on a job search. This is just outrageous."

"Life can definitely suck at times," Chloe said.

"You said it," Trisha said. They talked for several more minutes, then, said their goodbyes and hung up. Trisha sat completely still, listening to the silence. No reason to get dressed or make any coffee or have anything to eat- not now, anyway. She tried to imagine the magazine being gone and failed. Sure, she'd complained about it sometimes- considering the fact that it had been work- but, she had loved her job.

A single, sad tear rolled down her cheek. She would seriously, seriously miss the place- even working with the people she couldn't stand. She swiped the tear away. '_All right. I'm not gonna sit here and depress myself_,' she thought, sitting the phone on her table and rising to her feet. She frowned when loud knocking sounded at her door, then, exited the room. After reaching the door, she unlocked and opened it to find Mike there. She couldn't have been less in the mood for him. "What the hell are you doing here?" she said dully.

He pushed past her and into the apartment, closed and locked her door, then, gave her a disgusted, yet angry glare. "You. fucking. _bitch_. Where do you get off? Huh? What in the world made you think I'd let you have my children?"

"It'd be an excellent way to prove that you care about them," she said- not surprised in the least that her father had told Mike about her wanting to get Kayla and Tyler.

"I just lost my wife. My_ wife_! You want me to lose my kids, too? Dammit, Trish. I know you hate me, but, this is a new low," he said, his eyes blazing.

"Oh, don't even try that with me, Mike. You don't give a crap that Natalia's dead- especially since you're the one to blame for it," she said harshly.

"You are out of your freaking mind. I loved Natalia. I still and will always love her," he said.

"What do you really know about love?" she said with a snort.

"I loved Mom!" he snapped. "She loved me, too, you know. She did." His voice had caught a little and genuine sadness replaced the fury in his eyes. "Mom loved me. You can stand here and pretend she didn't, but, I know she did." He sounded like a vulnerable, little boy. "I, I know she did."

Trisha sighed. "I know, too, Mike. She loved all of us and you haven't been quite the same since she died."

His eyes watered at the word "died". There was an absolutely miserable expression on his face. He hadn't looked this way since their mother's funeral. "She wasn't supposed to go." His voice was filled with raw anguish. "People like her are supposed to live forever." He picked the framed photograph of Adella Moretti up off of Trisha's end table and stared at it with tears streaming down his face. He gripped the picture as though it were a lifeline. "Everything stopped making sense when you left, Mom. Everything g-got cold. It's like living in a dark world made of ice."

Trisha shivered a little and hugged herself. His words... . What she was witnessing was a part of Mike that had been fading for a long time. She was hit with a strong urge to put her arms around her brother, but, she didn't move an inch. She couldn't. She just simply watched him.

"There is no family anymore, Mom. Just a bunch of people. Everybody's just existing. Nothing means anything," he said as he stared intently at the photograph.

Trisha cleared her throat. "Mike-" she began, but, stopped when he whipped his head around to look at her. No, _glare_ at her. A hateful glare. It was as though those few moments of being a human worthy of sympathy and compassion had never even taken place. Unbelievable, but, not really.

He set the picture down, turned and stepped up to his sister. "There is no way in hell you're getting those kids. I'll wreck you without blinking an eye."

She was about to reply until Chloe's words floated into her brain... '_Whoever did this is insane and they wanted it to be known that it was arson because- get this- they left a gasoline can sitting right in front of the ruins_.' Trisha gaped at her brother as a fury that almost scared her began boiling within her. She hadn't thought of it before because she'd been upset and so shocked over the loss of her job, but, she was thinking it now.

"You. psychotic. bastard." The venom in her voice was unmistakable and a red haze began to cloud her vision. Slowly. "You burned down the magazine."

"What are you talking about?" he asked in an annoyed voice.

"Shut up!" she shrieked as scorching hot rage consumed her. "You burned down Alluring Style or you hired someone to do it!"

"I don't give a crap about your worthless job. Why would I get rid of it?" he demanded.

"It was you or Dad! You'd do it because you're a heartless ass and Dad never wanted me working there in the first place! What the hell is wrong with you people?!" she screamed before roughly tackling her brother to the floor. She started punching him like a woman possessed. He growled and shoved her off of him, then, stood and stared down at her with wild eyes.

"You truly have lost your flipping mind. I knew you'd go bananas sooner or later," he said, turning and heading up to the door. He gave her one last look. "You will never get my children. You'll die a painful death first." With that, he exited the apartment.

Trisha- whom was filled with the craziest, hottest, most frightening fury- lay on the floor, shaking violently. The things she wanted to do right now would have disturbed her if she wasn't beyond outraged. She stood and looked around the apartment as memories of growing up as a Moretti began rushing into her mind. A heart-wrenching scream unleashed itself from someplace deep inside her. She impulsively picked up one of her favorite vases and hurled it towards the wall. Within minutes, almost the entire apartment was trashed.

* * *

'_Maybe she's asleep or something,' _Tommy thought as headed down the hall to Trisha's apartment that evening. He knew she was home because he'd seen her car_. 'Of course, she could be with a friend. But it doesn't matter because I'm about to find out_.' He was worried about her. Hayley had told him about the magazine being torched sometime last night. Tommy had called Trisha- both home and cell phones- several times and got no response at all.

'_She loved working there_,' he thought, feeling a pang of sympathy. He knocked on her door a few times and waited. After waiting for what he'd felt was long enough, he started knocking again- a little harder this round- and waited once more. After a significant amount of time, he began knocking and calling her name. He really wanted to talk to her. He sighed- feeling kind of desperate now- and looked down at the doorknob. He twisted it and his eyes widened a little. It was unlocked. Why would she have her door unlocked? His worry increased as he entered the dark apartment.

"Trish?" he called. "Trisha, are you home?" He felt around on the wall for the light switch, found it and flipped it on. "What the hell?" he muttered as he gaped at her living room in disbelief. It was a huge mess. '_Oh, man! What if she was robbed and kidnapped last night? Or maybe someone raped and beat her and she's lying in here somewhere unconscious_!' he thought as his heart began pounding. He knew it was probably silly to freak out like that. But she was blood-related to a family with a lot of enemies, so, anything was possible. He hurried for her bedroom and cursed out loud when she wasn't there. The bathroom was Trisha-free as well. Same went for the spare bedroom.

Tommy raced for the kitchen. When he reached the doorway, he flipped on the light and his chest tightened. She was sitting on the floor in her sleepwear- leaning back against the refrigerator- drinking a bottle of wine. Her hair was in disarray. He swallowed hard, stepped in and began making his way towards her. She didn't move at the sound of his footsteps or look up. Just continued to drink. Once he'd reached her, he noticed another bottle of wine standing on the other side of her. "Trish?"

She looked up. Her eyes were a little glassy. "Alluring Style is dead because my family's nuts."

'_Her family. Of course! Who else would be behind it_?' He looked at her. "Are you all right?" Yeah, he knew it was a dumb question, but, it was all he could think to say right now.

"I'm lovely. Ya thirsty?" she asked before downing more wine.

He gently took the bottle from her and set it aside. "Have you eaten today?"

"No. I lost a job today. No, no, no. My brother or father wrecked my job. They're crazy. Crazy," she said, slurring a little. "Do you think it'll happen to me?" She sounded like a little girl.

"What?" he asked.

"Think I'll end up becoming my father's daughter? Who knows, right?" she said with a tired sigh.

"I don't believe you'll ever be like them," he said seriously.

She gave him a warm smile. "I love that you're here right now and I love that you're Tommy."

He smiled. "I love that you're Trisha. You know what else I love? A _healthy_ Trisha. So, why don't we get some food in you?"

* * *

The stranger stood next to the car that night, grinning at it. This job had been cake. He hadn't even had to break into the stupid car. He'd been given a key. How they'd been able to get the original key to make copies in the first place wasn't his business or on his "things I give a crap about" list. He pulled a carton of cigarettes out of his pocket, thinking about how much he loved working for the Morettis. If his work continued to be impressive... he'd probably move up in the organization. Play a more important role.

He blew out a puff of smoke and grinned at the car once again. His grin widened at the thought of the owner. "I hope your next ride is_ thrilling_, sweetcheeks."


	16. An Interesting Ride

_**Well, folks, I wanted to update this again, so, here it is. Hope it's passable AND sensible 'cause I wrote some of it LATE. It's an insane hour right now.  
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_**As always, thanks for the amazing feedback.**_

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_**An Interesting Ride**_

"Can I get you anything, honey?" Adam asked his wife the next day- Wednesday evening. The two of them were sitting on the plush sofa in their den. "Are you still hungry?"

"I'm good, sweetie," Tanya said. She'd left work early to go to the doctor's and her pregnancy had been confirmed. She was three months along.

"Are you sure?" Adam asked.

"One hundred percent- for now anyway," she said with a smile.

"Well, you let me know when you two want something else," he said, then, gently placed his hand on her belly. He had been doing that since she'd told him she may be pregnant. He was in awe. '_I have a child growing in here. It's amazing_.' Sure, he had seen expectant mothers before, but, none of them had been carrying _his_ baby. He hadn't been this excited and nervous in a long time. He smiled at Tanya. "I guess we should tell everyone soon."

"Yeah," she said, then, thought of something else and laughed.

"What?" he asked.

"Kim and Aisha are probably gonna have a baby shower planned three seconds after we tell them," she said.

He laughed and nodded in agreement. "That's true. Rocky will probably ask us to name the baby after him- even if it's a girl."

She laughed again. "He might suggest Rocketta if it's a girl. Or DeSantosina."

Laughter erupted from him once again. "We might have to take him up on it because something tells me Kat won't be too willing to have a Rocketta running around."

"That would be one funny argument," Tanya said, her amusement growing as she imagined the future husband and wife having it out over baby names.

"I'll say. I can already hear Rocky telling Kat that she's just jealous because his name's cooler than hers," Adam said, his amusement growing as well.

Tanya grinned. "Gotta love Rocky," she said, then, looked down at her husband's hand- which was still on her belly. She couldn't believe she would be a _mother_ in six months. A mother. Ever since the doctor had confirmed that she was pregnant, all sorts of emotions had been running around in her. This was... real. There would be a little person around- depending on Adam and herself. It was really something. She placed her hand on his and looked at him. "What do you want- boy or girl?"

"I know I want it to be healthy," he said.

"Sweetie, that's only natural. How 'bout giving me the _real_ answer?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Okay, okay. I'd be happy with either, but, I think I'd like a girl. What about you?"

"A boy. I'd really love to have your son," she said. "Because I love the idea of another you."

"Thanks, honey, but, another you is a better idea," he said.

"Be careful what you wish for," she said teasingly.

* * *

"I said no, Zack," Bianca snapped into the telephone a few minutes later. She was sitting in the den- wearing a hateful expression- while her cousin Jada and Ariel were in the kitchen, having ice cream. "She's not spending the whole weekend with you again. You're not gonna hog my child."

"First of all, she's our child, Bianca. Ours. Second of all, how am I hogging her? I wanna spend as much time as I can with her because I just found out she existed," he said.

She laughed bitterly. "You honestly think I don't know what this is really about? I'm not an idiot, you know."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, come off it, Zack. We both know that you only want Ariel around so you and Aisha can brainwash her. That way, I'll be outta the picture and the three of you will be a happy family with _Aisha_ as the mother."

He waited several seconds before responding. "Please tell me you're kidding."

"I'm dead serious. I know about the plan you and the _wife_ put together," she said.

"Nobody has any plans. Bianca, you're being paranoid for no reason and you should pull it together before it's too late," he said.

"Too late? Are you saying that I might go _crazy_?" she demanded, incredulous and highly offended. "I happen to love my daughter and I don't wanna lose her. How the hell is that crazy?"

"It's crazy to think you'll lose her. Not to mention ridiculous," he said.

"Now I'm ridiculous," she said harshly.

"This conversation's ridiculous!" he exclaimed, then, took a slow, deep breath. "Listen, all I wanna do is spend more time with Ariel. She and I've got a lotta lost time to make up for."

But Bianca was nowhere near wanting to be reasonable and understanding. She let her hot anger drive her. "It won't work, Zack. It'll never work."

"What-" he began.

"I can easily move back to Chicago," she snapped. "I can arrange it so you never see or talk to her ever again if I wanted. It'd be smart not to push me."

"I'm not worried you'll take her back to Chicago because we both know she'll hate you for it," he said.

"I'm her mother. I was all she had for almost ten years. She could never hate me," she said.

"You just gave her the father she never knew and now you're threatening to take her away from him. An idiot can tell you she won't be too happy with you if that happens. Bianca, I know you couldn't stand it if Ariel hated you," he said.

"Don't try that on me," she said hotly.

"I'm just telling the truth here- something you've obviously never been all that good at," he said.

"Fine! You can have her for the weekend," she said angrily, then, ended the call. She was coming close to hating him and that was Aisha's fault. Nothing or no one could ever convince her that Aisha wasn't an actual witch. '_That woman needs to be dealt with- fast_.'

* * *

Trisha sat on her sofa about an hour later, drinking tea and trying to remind herself that her oldest brother was actually human once. She was sure he was behind the burning of the magazine. Their father had hated her working there, but, she knew he wasn't responsible for the fire. She'd thought about it all last night and today. Victor wouldn't waste his time on destroying her workplace. He'd prefer bullying and scaring the owners into selling him the place because he knew she'd quit if it belonged to him. No, this was all Mike. His way of letting her feel just how pissed he was about the idea of her taking his kids. '_He's such a total ass. He really is_.'

She knew it wasn't the end of the world and that it wouldn't be utterly impossible to find another job, but, she just wished her old one hadn't had to suffer because of crazy relatives. She took a deep breath, then, drank more of her tea. The warm liquid felt good sliding down her throat. She looked around the living room. Maybe she should go for a drive. She'd been cooped up in here since yesterday and she needed to get out for a while. She always liked to take drives when she was feeling, well, not her best. '_Yeah. A nice, long drive would be the perfect medicine right now_.'

About ten minutes later, she was about to head down a steep hill. Mike crept into her thoughts once again and she banged her fist on the steering wheel. She didn't want to think of that pathetic excuse for a human right now. She wanted to focus on driving. The car picked up speed as it started down the hill and she sighed as it started nearing the four-way stop at the bottom and touched her foot to the brake.

The car didn't slow.

She frowned and pushed the brake again- harder. Nothing. She pushed hard again. Still nothing. Worry began surging through her as she began frantically pushing the brake. '_What is this? Why won't it slow down? What's wrong with the brakes? They can't be out!_' she thought, her heart starting to pound. Her eyes widened when she saw a car paused at the intersection. In another few seconds, she'd go crashing straight into it! She began honking her horn like nobody's business when the car nosed its way into the intersection. It jerked to a stop at her blaring, but, it was already in the middle of the intersection.

'_The emergency brake. Try it_!' the panic-free part of her brain told her.

She yanked the lever up. The car bucked and began to skid and the other driver started to back up. Trisha swerved around it... missing it by mere inches. Her car sailed through the intersection, spun around in a circle and came to a stop on the soft shoulder on the other side of the road. Her heart was about to fly out of her chest, her eyes were wild and her breathing was rapid. Dead. She and someone else could be dead at this very moment. Or horribly injured. But "dead" was what stuck in her freaked-out brain. She let out a small shriek when her cell phone began to ring. Her shaky hand picked it up off the passenger seat and she answered without checking the caller ID. "Hello?" Her voice sounded so odd to her.

"Have you enjoyed any nice rides today, sweetheart?" an unfamiliar, amused male voice said.

"Huh?" she said dumbly.

"But I guess the answer's no because you're still breathing," he said with a laugh. "That can change, though." His voice took on a singsong quality. "So many ways to die." He ended the call abruptly.

* * *


	17. A Deadly Warning

_**Here's the next update, y'all.  
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_**As always, thanks for the never-ending support.**_

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_**A Deadly Warning  
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"Are you _sure_ it wasn't your father?" Tommy asked Trisha a second time. "Completely sure?"

"Completely. Tommy, my dad is and has done a lot of things, but, he'd never kill or try to kill any of his kids. We're our mother's kids, too. Killing us would be like her dying all over again. He'd probably have a complete mental breakdown. Besides, my father would rather try and control us and our lives like nobody's business than erase us," Trisha said.

It was now a week later- Wednesday evening- and Trisha and Tommy were having dinner in Tommy's kitchen. When she'd told him about the incident with her car- which had been repaired already- she'd seen powerful emotions play out on his face. He'd held her for quite a long time afterwards, then, stared at her. Just... stared. As though he'd wanted to memorize everything about her face. Every time he looked at her now, the words "I could've lost you forever" ran through his head. The reality of the world her family lived in had been hitting him hard since her possible, near tragedy. And, of course, there was the burning of Alluring Style magazine. Arson, attempted murder... .

"Trust me, sweetie. This is my brother. He's decided trying to ruin my life is a great way to pass the time," she said dryly.

"He has to be stopped. I don't know how- since there's no way to prove anything- but, he's gotta be stopped. Maybe he needs to be caught in the act. But, we'd have to follow him around all the time or have him followed since nobody ever knows when he plans to strike," Tommy said, then, the insane situation hit him again. He felt horrible for Trisha because she'd have to be tied to lunatics by blood for the rest of her life. "I don't even really know Mike. We met once- at his wife's funeral- and he was successfully playing the heartbroken, widower role. The point is, I don't really know him, but, I hate the heartless psycho. What the hell else can you call a guy that'd hurt his own sister like this?"

Trisha couldn't help smiling a little. Tommy truly was something and she was so grateful to have him. "Oh, I've got about a billion names for Mike."

"I'd love to try and help you come up with another one," Tommy said with a slight chuckle, then, looked into her eyes. "Are you gonna tell your father about what happened with your car?"

"I think I'll go with no, Dr. Oliver," she said.

"Why not?" he asked. "If he'd never want his wife's children dead, wouldn't he try to stop Mike from going after you?"

"He would. But the keyword here is "try". He'd try, my brother would pretend he's backing off, then, start up all over again a few weeks later," she said. "'But, it's fine because I wanna leave my dad outta this. I wanna handle the situation solo."

"Correction: you wanna handle it with this science teacher that won't take no for an answer," he said, smiling.

"Are you hitting on me?" she joked.

"You impressed?" he quipped.

"Keep wishing, jerk," she said with a wink. The two of them laughed and she reached across the table, took his hand and squeezed it. "If you seriously wanna help me, feel free, baby."

"Really? No 'I'm an independent woman and perfectly capable of looking out for myself, so, get lost, caveman' or something like that?" he said with an amused grin.

"Nah, I'm in a good mood," she said, her eyes showing her own amusement. "I don't wanna deprive Mr. Hero Complex of anything."

"Mr. Hero Complex, huh?" he said, smirking.

"Tell me I'm wrong. Go ahead. I dare you. I triple, chili dog, cheese fries, double fudge brownies dare you," she said.

He opened his mouth to retort, but, ended up laughing and shaking his head. "A chili dog, cheese fries and double fudge brownies dare. You're a new kind of weird, you know that?"

"Yeah. The voices told me ten years ago when I was playing with a puppy made out of plastic cups," she said, mock serious. He laughed again and she smiled as surge of giddiness rushed through her. She really loved when they had the teasing, cute, light, joking moments. In its own way, total normalcy could be very fun. "You know something? I kind of _want_ brownies now."

"Would you settle for chocolate chip cookies? Because that's all I have," he said with a light chuckle.

"Well, cookies are always a good second choice, so, why not?" she said.

Nearly two hours later, the couple were on the sofa- snuggled together. Tommy was thinking of the situation with Mike while Trisha was thinking of how Tommy deserved a girlfriend with less complications and drama. She knew he'd said that he wasn't going to be scared off and she believed it, but, she still could not help feeling guilty. '_He shouldn't have to deal with my family issues. It's dead wrong. The best thing for him would be for me to go away_,' she thought, her stomach contracting. Why did the best thing always feel like the world's most awful thing? The idea of breaking things off with one of the most incredible people she had ever known was just... unbearable. A sigh escaped her lips.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I was just thinking of how you deserve a relationship with a whole lot less insanity and drama," she said.

"Oh, yeah? Sounds pretty boring to me," he said lightly.

She looked at him and half-smiled. "Knee-slapping hilarious, Oliver, but, I'm serious."

"I know and I really don't care," he said.

"Tommy-" she began.

"Trish, we've already talked about this. We established that we'd take on your family together," he said.

"I know, I know, I know. But, come on, Tommy. Feeling guilty about having you in all of this is only natural, ya know," she said.

"I guess it is. But, you have to remember that I don't mind being in it. Not at all. Because I want you. I want us," he said.

"Same here," she said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said before gently kissing her forehead.

* * *

It was now ten days later- Saturday evening- and Jason and Kimberly Scott's wedding reception was in progress. The reception hall was filled with joyous laughter, lively conversation and beautiful music. The newlyweds were in the center of the dance floor, grinning and slowly swaying from side to side. Needless to say, they were all aglow and barely noticed the other guests. Their happiness was contagious and love was definitely in the air.

"Kim and Jason chose the perfect month to get married. I love spring weddings," Katherine said to her fiance with a bright smile. She and Rocky were dancing a few feet away from the original pink and red rangers. "Everything was and is so beautiful."

"I'm really happy for Kim and Jase, but, you were the one I couldn't take my eyes off of," Rocky said.

"I was pretty focused on you, too, Zeo Three," she said.

He laughed. "If you want a spring wedding, we could get married next March. I'd say next month or May, but, our planning's barely started since we haven't been engaged all that long, so..."

"Actually, I'd like a fall wedding. Is September okay with you?" she asked.

"Anything you want, ballerina," he said, then, pulled her closer and closed his eyes.

A couple feet away, Trisha was dancing with and smiling at Tommy. "This place is... wow. I don't even... wait. Breathtaking. That's the best description for this place and the wedding. And it was so sweet of Kim to make me a bridesmaid. I know I've said that already, but, I was happy that she asked me as if we've been friends for a lifetime."

"That's just how Kim is," Tommy said with a smile. "You make a gorgeous bridesmaid, by the way."

"And _you_ are just gorgeous anyway," she said with a playful grin.

"I guess I'm pretty okay," he said lightly.

"Oh, come off it, Doc. You're a first-rate hottie and ya know it," she said.

"Lady, you get a lotta bonus points for saying first-rate," he joked.

"Will I get a nice, ten-foot tall, platinum trophy?" she teased.

"Well, seeing as how _I'm_ the first-rate hottie, I think I should have the trophy," he said, mock serious.

"Meanie," she said- causing him to laugh. She tilted her head slightly. "Have I ever told you how much I love dancing with you?"

"I think you've mentioned it, but, hearing it again won't make me cry," he said.

"I _love_ dancing with you," she said. "Don't forget: you owe me a dance in the rain- whenever it _does _rain, that is."

"We could always just go over to Adam and Tanya's house and ask them to turn on the sprinklers," he quipped.

"You joke, but, that's actually something I'd probably do," she said, nodding.

"I wouldn't do it for anybody but you," he said, kissing her cheek. Just then, a new song came on. It was an upbeat one. "You wanna sit this one out or..."

"A little break wouldn't hurt. I'm gonna get some champagne. You thirsty?" she asked.

"I'll get it for us," he said.

"You are such a guy," she said with a smirk.

"True, but, don't you kinda like that about me?" he said with a wink.

"Yeah. It's cute," she said as they began making their way off the dance floor.

"I don't do cute," he said in a purposely gruff tone.

"My apologies, Count Masculine," she quipped.

"All is forgiven because you're pretty," he said, smirking.

"Aren't you the kindest?" she said dryly.

"Without a doubt," he said. She rolled her eyes and laughed. He also started to laugh until thunderous gunshots rang out.

The reception hall almost instantly became chaotic as people screamed, ducked and frantically looked for any sort of shield or safe haven. The shooter or shooters continued to fire as though it was the last thing they'd ever do. The screams of terror would be forever remembered by all who survived. Trisha- whom had somehow gotten separated from Tommy- was on her belly. She quickly lifted her head- hoping to catch a glimpse of her boyfriend. But he was nowhere in sight. Her heart began pounding even harder. '_Oh, God. What if he's... no. No. I can't think like that. Tommy's fine. He's fine_,' she told herself as she began rolling away. She stopped when she heard a child crying nearby. She made her way over to the little girl as fast as she could- whom couldn't have been no more than five- pulled her into her arms and took them to the first hiding place she could find.

Trisha held the sobbing child tightly to her and spoke as soothingly as she could- considering the circumstances. The sound of gunshots, horrified screams, breaking glass... . It felt so unreal. It was hard to believe that a party celebrating a new marriage had just been taking placing not even a few minutes earlier. '_Why would anybody shoot up Kim and Jason's wedding reception? It doesn't even make any sense. This is just_-' Trisha's thoughts were cut short when realization replaced her shock. Mike. It had to be his doing. She wasn't being paranoid. She knew her brother was causing this. '_Innocent people could get hurt or die because he's out of his mind.' _The shots finally ceased. But, a few seconds later, a woman screamed. An ear-splitting, heart-stopping scream. Then, she shrieked words no one wanted to hear...

"He's dead! He's _dead_!"

* * *


	18. Guilt And Grief

_**Here's the next update, y'all. I thought I'd be updating on Friday, but, oh, well.  
**_

_**As always, thanks for the amazing support.**_

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**_Guilt And Grief_**

"He's dead! He's _dead_!"

Trisha paled at the woman's words and her chest tightened. The little girl she was holding in her arms had quieted somewhat, but, Trisha barely noticed. All she could think about now was: "he's dead, he's dead." He... . An eerie sensation washed over her. Dead. Someone was dead. There were probably other casualties as well. A movement against her snapped her out of her awful thoughts and she looked down to find the little girl looking up at her with wide, tearful eyes. Her small, bottom lip trembling. Trisha smoothed the child's dark hair back and gave her a small smile.

"I want m-my mommy," the little girl said fearfully.

"We're gonna find her, sweetie, okay?" Trisha said softly. The child nodded and Trisha silently hoped they'd find the woman alive. She gave the girl another smile. "What's your name?"

"Mommy and Daddy said never tell strangers my name," the child said.

"And they were absolutely right to tell you that. They don't want anyone to hurt you. But, I promise that I won't hurt you, honey," Trisha said in as assuring a tone she could manage. "My name's Trisha."

"My name is Molly and I will be six tomorrow," the little girl said- proudly smiling in spite of her tears.

"Really? Do you know that six is my favorite age?" Trisha said. It was important to try and keep Molly as calm as possible.

"It is?" Molly asked.

"Uh-huh," Trisha said. Before she could even think of anything else to say, someone else screamed and Molly jumped. Trisha closed her eyes and a single tear rolled down her face.

* * *

Trini Kwan spotted her boyfriend of a year and a half and hurried towards him. Billy Cranston instantly embraced the woman he loved. The reception hall looked... everything was just a terrible, terrible mess. Nightmarish. The heart-wrenching cries and retching sounds as people discovered dead bodies made it all seem like a horror movie. After holding each other for what seemed like a decade, Billy and Trini looked at each other- their eyes filled with many emotions.

"Are you all right?" the couple asked in unison, then, laughed nervously.

"I'm fine," Trini said, a bit thinly. "Did you see any possible shooters? Anybody hurrying out of here?"

"I'm fine as well," Billy said quietly. "Sadly, I didn't see anyone."

Trini shook her head slowly. "I can't believe this, Billy. I really cannot believe it. We were all enjoying ourselves just minutes ago. Who would do this and why?"

"I wish I knew, Trini. It makes no sense at all," Billy said. "I was very worried when I couldn't find you anywhere..."

"My heart stopped when I lost sight of you," she said, then, hugged him again- tightly. "I love you, Billy."

"I love you, too," he said seriously.

"We should see if... we should help somehow," she said. Her heart was pounding wildly. It was horrible that some had lost their lives because of this mysterious massacre. She was trying- with great difficulty- not to think that anyone she loved was... .

"I agree," he said, taking her hand.

* * *

A petite, young woman was sitting on the floor beside a still, older man. The man was dead. In fact, he was the one the first woman had been screaming about. He lay in a pool of blood... blood that stained the white dress being worn by the young woman sitting next to him. The loudly sobbing, young woman. She didn't notice the small crowd around them or hear the soft murmurings. All she could see was the unfortunate man on the floor and the words "he's dead, he's dead" kept racing around in her brain. Never in a million years would she have thought the woman was referring to _this_ man. Not him. Not him. He couldn't be gone. He wasn't supposed to die. Not her father. Her father was supposed to live to see his _great_-grandchildren. This wasn't supposed to happen. The heartbroken, young woman- whom felt like a little girl again- leaned down and lay her head on his chest. His heart would never, ever beat again.

"Daddy, don't go" she sobbed. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder a few seconds later and looked up to see the person kneeling down next to her with a sad expression on their face. "They killed him!" she cried. "They killed my father!"

"I know. I know and I am so sorry, Kim," Jason said, his heart twisting.

Kimberly sat up and was pulled into Jason's strong arms. "It's not- it's not- it's not..."

"I know, baby," Jason whispered, then, glanced at Kimberly's mother- whom now sat next to them, staring at her daughter with unbelievably melancholy, tear-filled eyes.

"But they- they- they... I just want... I, I, I..." Kimberly was gasping and struggling to speak.

"I'm sorry, Kim," Jason said, tightening his hold on his violently shaking bride.

"I, I, I just w-want... I just want... I want my _daddy_, Jason. I want my daddy!" she wailed hysterically.

* * *

A few hours later, Trisha was in her car- heading for her oldest brother's house. Tommy and his friends were with Kimberly and Jason at Kimberly's mother's house. Trisha would have liked to have stayed to offer more comfort, but, her rage and guilt were overpowering. She was sure they'd soon figure out her family was behind what had happened. She'd told Tommy she was going to her apartment to change and shower. She did go home, but, she didn't change or shower. She'd sat on her sofa for a long time, thinking about the wedding reception and the danger she felt she'd indirectly brought into everyone's lives. Then, she'd grabbed her keys and hopped in her car. Mike was a monster. Plain and simple. Innocent people- _children_- had been at that reception. Children. She thought of Molly, then. Fortunately, the little girl had been reunited with her very alive parents.

Trisha banged her fist against her steering wheel. Mike had a problem with her and others had had to suffer because of that. He was a monster and she was going to have it out with him. She didn't have some grand plan, but, she wanted to rip into him. She knew she'd told Tommy they'd deal with her brother together, but, right now, she was just too damn angry. She was seriously running on Moretti rage. Burning down her magazine and tampering with her car was terrible enough, but, harming people who didn't even know him was beyond insane and cruel.

A short while later, she rang his doorbell. He opened the door several moments later. He had the nerve to smile and her fury intensified.

"Hey, there, baby sister. Why don't you come on in so we can have a nice visit?" he said, stepping aside.

She stalked into the house and turned to face him. "Where are the kids?" she asked calmly.

"The kids?" he said as he closed the door. "You mean my kids- the ones you're trying to steal?"

"Where are they?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Not that it's any of your business, but, they're with their grandparents. Can I offer you anything to drink, sis?" he asked, lifting his eyebrows.

"Cut the crap, Mike," she snapped.

"You don't look so hot," he remarked.

"You bastard!" she screamed. "What the hell's the matter with you?!"

"Care to let me in on what you're squawking about?" he asked dully.

"Kimberly and Jason Scott aren't your enemies! You are truly psychotic!" she yelled.

"Yet I'm not the one standing here screaming my head off about who knows what," he said lightly. "You're obviously very stressed, Trish. You should do something about that. There _are _massage parlors."

"Kim and Jason deserved to have a normal, _danger_-free wedding reception just like any other couple. But, you're too damn soulless to care about anything that matters," she said, her eyes blazing.

"Are you gonna tell me who Kim and Jason _are_? Are they two people in your little, make-believe world? Ya know... the world where everything that's bad that happens to you is my fault?" he said, leaning back against the door. His casual tone just angered her further. "You've gotta stop doing this to yourself, Trish. The paranoia and unnecessary rages. I'm really starting to worry about you." He'd sound genuinely concerned to anybody that didn't know him.

"But, we both know why you hired shooters for the reception, Mike. It had nothing to do with Jason or Kim. You only shot it up because you knew Tommy and I were there," she said irately.

"Ah, Tommy. Your precious boy-toy. How's he doing?" Mike said smoothly.

"Your problems are with _me_, Mike. Me. You had no right to take your insanity out on people that've done nothing to you! Kids were there! People got hurt and people died. Kim's father died. Her father! On her _wedding day_!" Trisha exclaimed, feeling a sharp pang of guilt.

"And you care so very much about the father/daughter relationship," he said dryly.

"Shut up! This is _our_ battle- yours and mine. Leave innocent people out of it," she said harshly.

Mike stood up straight and stepped up to her. "Battle? _Battle_? Trish, I want you to try hard and remember that you and I actually got along once upon a time. Sure, you were always closer to our brother Tony, but, you and I got along fine. I used to look out for you and protect you because you're my little sister. Now, we're in this ugly place. You're accusing me of everything under the sun and acting like you despise the idea of me. What the hell happened?"

"You did," she snapped. "You happened and you're not even human anymore. I accuse you because you're responsible and you know it!"

"Maybe you're right," he said solemnly. "Maybe I am out to wreck you. Maybe I did force my wife to commit suicide. I may very well be this psycho you believe I am."

She blinked. She hadn't expected him to practically admit to anything. But, she knew better. She wasn't stupid enough to fall for anything. "What are you trying to do, Mike?" she demanded.

He shrugged. "I'm just saying that maybe you're right about everything. Maybe I don't care who I hurt. Maybe I'm not good for my kids." He looked into her eyes. "Maybe I should do myself a favor and end you right now." He laughed. It was the laugh of a person that was dangerously close to cracking up or had already. "Now, now, now. I know I said I wouldn't touch you or Tony as long as our old man's around. But, that's a problem that can be easily solved. I mean, all dear, old Dad has to do is take a permanent vacation from the world, right?"

* * *


	19. Denial And Heartache

**_And here is the next installment of DKOL. _**

**_(SPECIAL thanks to Zeopurple for motivating me to finish this chapter. Girl, your last story update kinda lit a fire under me. Needed it).  
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**_Thanks so much for the continued interest and support._**

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**_Denial And Heartache_**

Trisha shook her head slowly. "You're not gonna kill Dad, Mike."

"But, I thought I was a soulless psycho," he said flatly.

"You're trying to shake me up, but, it's not gonna work," she said.

He stared at her for several seconds, then, sighed deeply. "Of course I'm not gonna kill Victor. I'm the only one of his kids that understands loyalty and actually gives a crap about him. Besides, I don't kill people. I hope your delusions don't land you in a loony bin, baby sister." He was being completely serious.

"If you think you're the only one that cares about our father, you're the delusional one," she said, then, thought of Jason and Kimberly again. Sadness filled her eyes and heart. "It's awful that Kim and Jason will never be able to have a wedding anniversary without thinking of her father's murder. Today was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives and it ended in a bloodbath."

"You seem to care a lot about people you haven't even known a year. Yet you willingly turn your back on your own family," he said, looking at her in disgust.

Her anger came back in full force. "A woman's father was killed on her wedding day because of your issues with me. Two people should be enjoying their first night as a married couple. Instead, they're _grieving_. You stand here talking about family, but, you didn't give a damn about the families at that reception. You don't care at all that you've caused some of them unnecessary pain."

"I've caused nothing," he said in annoyance. "As I said before, I don't kill people. Even if I did, why the hell would I bother shooting up a wedding party- or having anyone else do it? I don't even know this Kim and Jason." Then, he snapped his fingers. "Oh, that's right. I did it because I wanted to hurt _you_. Yeah. _Everything_ I do is about _you_. My whole, freaking life is about _you_. _Nothing_ in this universe is more important to me than ruining your life." His voice was extremely caustic.

The doorbell rang. Mike glared at his sister, then, turned and stepped up to the door. He opened it and smiled kindly. "Hi, Dad."

"Michael," Victor said with a nod. "I noticed your sister's car."

"Yeah, Trish decided to pay her big brother a visit. Come on in," he said, stepping aside.

Victor walked in and looked at his daughter- whom was standing with her arms folded over her chest. He took in her appearance and frowned. "What happened to you?"

"Her friends' wedding reception was shot up," Mike said. "Isn't it funny how she hates what our family supposedly does yet she takes up with people who have enemies?"

"That'll be quite enough, Michael," Victor said, then, refocused on Trisha. "I'm relieved to see that you're unharmed. However, I'm curious as to why there was a shooting at this party."

"Why don't you tell him, Mike?" Trisha said fiercely.

"I would love to, but, I don't know anything about it," he said lightly, then, sighed. "The bride's father was killed, Dad. Man. That's a really crappy thing to happen on a person's wedding day."

Trisha wanted to scream. "It's very crappy. It's as crappy as a guy wanting to hurt his sister so badly that he doesn't care who gets hurt in the process."

Victor looked at his son- his eyes narrowed. "Michael, I want you to tell me that you had nothing to do with the event that occurred today."

"Oh, he will, but, it'd be a lie, Dad. Mike is out of control. First, he _makes_ Natalia- his _wife_- kill herself, then, he has my workplace torched, then, he has my brakes tampered with and today-" Trisha was saying.

"Hold it," Victor said firmly. Trisha looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he took a deep breath. "Your brakes were tampered with? _When_ was this, Trisha?"

"A couple weeks ago. I could have killed myself and another driver. I wasn't gonna tell you about it, but, after what happened today and standing here with Mike... . He needs help. _Now_," she said.

"Dad, you know that I would never try to kill my own sister. I admit that I have quite a temper and I tend to act without thinking sometimes, but, she's my parents' daughter. I could never kill my dead mother's child. Am I angry that she decided my children should be taken away from me? Yes! I'm furious. Not to mention more than a little stung. Also, I totally hate that she's with that Tommy Oliver. But, I wouldn't try to take her life. Whether she believes it or not, I love Trish and only want what's right for her," Mike said, giving his father a pleading look.

"Don't let him play you, Dad. Mike is only gonna get worse," she said.

"Trisha, I know you're upset and need someone to blame, but, I _promise_ you that I had nothing to do with what happened today. You haven't known Jason and Kim forever. Maybe they _do_ have enemies," Mike said, throwing his hands up in the air.

Trisha looked at her father. "This is what happens when you choose to bring kids into the mafia world, Dad. That's what happened when Grandpa brought you and your siblings into it. The legacy claimed you and Uncle Sonny. Now it's claiming Mike- in the worst way."

"Trish, come on. You're being a little dramatic here," Mike said in a tone that suggested he was bored with the conversation.

Trisha ignored him and continued to speak to Victor. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I was born. But, have you ever _once_ felt guilty about bringing children into a violent world?" He scowled and looked away. She cocked her head slightly. "You're my father and I love you, but, we all know the truth. You should be in prison. Of course, that's not going to happen as long as you have police officers, lawyers and judges on your payroll." She headed up to the door, opened it and looked over her shoulder at her relatives. "You both should know that your luck has to run out eventually." Then, she exited the house.

* * *

It was now three days later- Tuesday evening- and Jason and Kimberly were eating dinner. Truthfully, _Jason_ ate while Kimberly stared at her glass of water. Saying that the last few days had been rough would be putting it mildly. Kimberly- understandably- wasn't really being herself and Jason was trying to console her as much as possible. He was also trying to wrap his mind around the fact that James Hart was dead. Kimberly's father was actually dead. Jason- along with Trini, Zack and Billy, of course- had known the guy since kindergarten and it just seemed so impossible. The first Red Ranger looked at his new bride and was hit with yet another wave of sympathy.

Here they were in their home when they were supposed to be on a honeymoon. Fury replaced his sympathy. He couldn't believe he and Kimberly had had to deal with _death_ on their wedding day. Even though the newlyweds weren't responsible for the massacre, he would understand if some of the guests that'd lost loved ones wouldn't be very comfortable at all with Kimberly and himself for a long time to come. How could they be? They had come to a wedding and reception expecting, like any normal person, to help celebrate love and have a great time. Instead, they had had to deal with fear, injury and murder.

"Why, Jase?" Her voice was low and laced with anguish.

"I have no idea, Kim," he said quietly. If there were any way at all he could erase everything she was feeling right now, he would. He knew it was important to mourn, but, it broke his heart to see her this way. He knew he couldn't, but, he wanted to protect her from any pain and misery for as long as he breathed.

"I'm not going to the funeral," she said as tears rolled down her face.

"Kim, I know it's hard and it hurts, but, do you think that's a good idea?" he asked.

"Maybe it isn't," she said glumly. "But, I don't wanna see my dad lying in a coffin. It'd make all of this real. I know it's real. I know it's real, but, I don't want it to be. I don't wanna accept that I'll never see him or hear him tell me he loves me again. I want him in this world with us."

"I know, baby. I don't wanna believe this, either. But, I think you need to be at the funeral," he said. He didn't want to push her, but, he knew that if Kimberly didn't attend her father's funeral, she'd never forgive herself. If she didn't go, a part of her would probably never be the same. He couldn't let it happen. He'd never let her fall. "You know you'll have a strong support system, Pinky."

Kimberly thought hard for several minutes, then, spoke up again. "I'll go," she said tightly. With her husband by her side, she'd make it through. She knew he'd give her extra strength. "As long as I have you..."

"You'll always have me," he said, reaching across the table to take her hand.

* * *

"_I know you're there, Trish. Pick up_."

It was now a half-hour later and Trisha was sitting on her bed- looking over the list of possible jobs she'd printed out and trying to ignore the voice on her answering machine. For the last few days, she'd been doing everything but talking to or seeing him. Her intense emotions wouldn't allow her to be around him right now. '_I could apply here, I guess. The hours are okay. But, I'm not sure_,' she thought, frowning a little.

"_Trisha, it wasn't your fault_." Tommy sighed. "_No one blames you. No one. Please pick up the phone_."

"I'm a little hungry," she muttered, then, got off the bed, exited the room and headed for the kitchen. '_Something light. Maybe a sandwich_.'

Several minutes later, knocking sounded on her door. She sat on her sofa, channel-surfing. '_I'm gonna have to keep budgeting like crazy for awhile. It sucks, but, I need to keep my roof_,' she thought as she stared at the colorful images on the television. The knocking sounded again- it was more insistent this time. "He must've been in his car," she said, gripping her remote. He'd gotten here pretty fast. "Tommy, go home. I'll call you tomorrow."

"No, you won't."

"I will. I'll call you. Just go home. You shouldn't be here now," she said, tossing the remote aside, standing and heading up to the door. "There's no reason for you to be here."

"Are you kidding?" His voice was full of disbelief.

"No, I'm not. I wanna be alone. I have to be," she said.

"You shouldn't be."

She unlocked and opened the door. "Tommy... I think we should cool it."

His eyebrows shot up. "What?"

She took a deep breath. "A break. We should take a break."

"You're only saying that because you feel responsible and guilty for your brother's insanity," he said. "You don't really wanna do this."

"Of course I don't!" she said with a sudden burst of emotion. Tears sprang to her eyes. "I don't _want_ a break from you, Tommy! I love you and I can't even tell you how happy I've been since you've been in my life. But, Mike caused your friends so much pain. When I look at you or hear you or think about you, I see that reception every time! I know that it's not my fault. I know it's not and I believe they don't blame me. But, Mike's my brother. It's not easy not to feel responsible."

"I understand-" he began.

"But, you don't. You don't. You sympathize, but, you don't understand, sweetie. You can't. You didn't grow up in my family," she said dejectedly, then, sighed. "Again, I know we agreed to deal with things together and I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record, but, you should get away from me and the lunacy and danger that I come with as soon as possible. A break isn't the solution. A break-up is. We need to just end it. Better now than later. I don't want that and saying it makes me feel nauseous, but, it's what's best."

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "No, Trish, it's not. I get why you feel that way, but, it's not the best thing for us. Don't let Mike wreck what we have."

"I can't let him destroy more innocent people just because he's ticked off at me, Tommy," she said tearfully.

He gripped her shoulders slightly. "I can't walk away, Trisha. As far as I'm concerned, we met at the right time and I already believe that we don't make sense apart."

"Tommy-" she began.

"I love you. We found something that a lot of people spend most of their lives looking for. I know you want me to be happy, but, how's that gonna be possible if we split up?" he said, his eyes wide.

"It would help a lot if you didn't fight me this time. You're a wonderful man with a lot to offer. It's not gonna be hard for you to find happiness somewhere else," she said. The last statement cut through her heart like a knife. But, she had to do this. She had to be strong here. It was life and death.

"I don't wanna find happiness somewhere else. What happened to Kim's father and those other people was horrible and I'll always hate it- always- but, what good will you breaking up with me do anybody, Trish? Huh? It won't change things. It won't bring the wedding guests back to life," he said.

"No, it won't. It won't. But, it can keep more people from getting hurt or worse by Mike," she said, then, shook her head slowly. "I should've done the smart thing and told you I couldn't see you again after one date. But, I was too selfish."

"You're forgetting that I don't give up easily," he said in a low voice.

"You have to force yourself to let go. I need you to accept my choice," she said unhappily. "Please."

A pained look appeared on his face. "I'm sorry, but, I can't and won't. If I were you, I wouldn't waste any time hoping that I will."

"I'm-" she began.

"But, what I _will_ do is give you some space and time," he said, his voice cracking a little. He released his hold on her.

"Goodbye, Tommy," she whispered. She hated breaking both their hearts, but, if it meant keeping him alive... . '_He may not need my protection, but, he's getting it_.'

"That's not an option," he whispered.

She stepped back and closed the door before she could take everything back. Then, she turned and made her way over to the sofa. She hadn't even felt this awful ache when she'd broken things off with Will. '_Only because I've never felt for anybody what I feel for Tommy_,' she thought as the tears streamed down her face. She had to be strong enough not to get up, run after him and tell him that she didn't mean any of it- which was what she honestly wanted to do. If only she could live in a world where only she and Tommy existed. But, no. No. '_I'm gonna let him move on. Sure, he'll battle me every step of the way, but, I'll have to fight twice as hard.' _

* * *


	20. Trouble

**_And here is the next installment of DKOL. _**

**_Thanks so much for the continued interest and amazing support._**

**_

* * *

_Trouble**

It was now four days later- Saturday evening. Zack and Aisha sat on their sofa, talking. They'd gone to Kimberly's father's funeral earlier. It had been very emotional and heartbreaking. Kimberly had exploded and shrieked and begged for her father's coffin not to be lowered into the ground- which had only intensified her loved ones' grief and sympathy. It'd been a pretty draining day. Aisha placed a hand on her husband's knee.

"I've said it plenty already, but, I'm so sorry, baby," she said. She knew that Mr. Hart had been a major part of his, Billy, Jason and Trini's childhood. For them, it was almost as though their own father had died. Aisha would feel exactly the same had it been Rocky's or Adam's father.

Zack shook his head. "It's crazy, Sha. It's crazy. I won't lie to you... when Kim had that meltdown, it got to me more than I thought it would."

Tears filled Aisha's eyes as she remembered that heart-wrenching scene. In all the years she'd known Kimberly, she'd never felt worse for the former Pink Ranger. She reached over and embraced Zack- whose arms quickly came around her. The couple held each other as tightly as they could. Several seconds later, the telephone rang. They sighed as they released each other. Aisha leaned forward and grabbed the cordless phone off the coffee table. She felt a flash of irritation when she Bianca's cell phone number on the caller ID, but, ignored it. '_I hope nothing's wrong with Ariel_,' she thought, then, answered. "Hello?"

"Oh. It's you," came Bianca's annoyed voice.

Aisha wasn't even in the mood to throw a sarcastic remark at the woman. "What do you want, Bianca?" she asked dully. Zack looked at her with slightly raised eyebrows.

"Where's Zack?" Bianca demanded. "I need to talk to him. It's very important."

"Is Ariel okay?" Aisha asked- causing her husband to sit up straighter.

"My daughter is fine," Bianca snapped. "Is Zack around or _not_?"

Aisha rolled her eyes. "Here ya go, baby," she told Zack as she handed the phone to him.

"What's up, Bianca?" he asked tiredly.

"I just wanted you to know how pissed I am at _her_. My baby barely wants to be around me anymore- thanks to that damn wife of yours. How can you love a woman that's turned your daughter against her own mother? What is _wrong_ with you?" Bianca said angrily.

'_This girl is gone_.' Zack rubbed at his eyes. "You know Ariel loves you," he said. "I'm not up for your drama, Bianca. I went to Kim's father's funeral today and that means I don't want to go round after round with you or anybody else. So, if Ariel's all right, we don't have anything to talk about."

"Actually, we do," Bianca said coldly. "Aisha is a real problem, Zack. You're blind, so, I'm trying to help you. Ariel's under her spell- which is exactly what she wants. Ariel isn't even all that interested in me lately! Who does Aisha thinks she is anyway? Huh? I mean, only a loony, pathetic person would try to steal someone else's child! You need to do yourself a favor and just get the hell away from her already."

"The only person's that's been loony and pathetic in all of this is you," Zack said irritably. "First, you come to town, stalk me and tell me I'm a father. Also, you keep expecting me to leave my wife. And thinking she's trying to replace you as Ariel's mother? You need to let go of all this bitterness and craziness before it eats you alive, Bianca." '_I really don't have the energy for this crap right now_,' he thought.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a psycho!" she yelled. "It's not my fault you can't see Aisha for what she is. You're weak and-"

"Did I _not_ just say I went to a funeral today? I'm not in the mood for all of this," he said.

"I'm sorry about your friend's loss, but, Ariel's important, too! You need to make a choice- it's her or Aisha,"' Bianca said harshly.

"It's both," Zack said, then, ended the call.

* * *

"Zack? Zack?" Bianca yelled into the phone. "That jackass hung up on me! Damn him!" She set her phone aside and shook her head. "That girl has him so damn snowed! He has the nerve to call me crazy! And stalking? Stalking? Somebody needs to tell Mr. Hotshot that he ain't that great!" She looked over at Mike Moretti- whom was lying next to her on his side, smiling in amusement. The two of them were still meeting at hotels. Neither wanted their kids to know they were seeing each other. They'd learned a lot from their conversations with one another.

"Yeah, you've got a real issue on your hands, babe," Mike said smoothly. "Not that I have a lotta room to talk. My sister is out of her mind. She thinks I'm responsible for every, single bad thing that happens in her life. She actually accused me of trying to kill her and forcing my late wife to kill herself. I mean, accusing me of burning down that stupid magazine and shooting up a couple strangers' wedding reception is wild enough, but, trying to kill my own sister and forcing my wife to commit suicide? Nuts." He shook his head. "At least she broke things off with Tommy Oliver- meaning she must not be totally gone."

Bianca's eyes widened. "They broke up?"

"Yeah. My father told me she ended things with the guy a few days ago. She called up my dad and said he'd be very happy to know that we got what we wanted," he said, then, scoffed. "She doesn't understand that we only want to protect her. A guy like Tommy doesn't fit into the world she grew up in. It never could have lasted."

"Don't you just hate it when people refuse to see that you care about them?" Bianca said, then, sighed. "I can't believe Zack has himself convinced that Aisha's the woman for him. He has absolutely no respect for me- the mother of his child."

"Well, there is a way to get him to see the light, babe," Mike said, pulling her to him.

"Oh, yeah? How?" she asked as he rolled them over so that he was atop her. She grinned up at him. "What's your brilliant plan?"

He laughed as he placed her hands on either side of her head. "It's simple, sweetheart." He dropped a soft kiss on her lips. "There should be a situation where Zack has no choice but to see the truth. A situation that shows that sweet Aisha isn't as loving and... _faithful_ as he thinks. I, of course, can offer my assistance. It all sounds pretty bad, but, sometimes, you have to take drastic measures to help people."

"I couldn't agree more and I love your idea. I hope we can put this plan in motion ASAP," she said, excitement surging through her. She was so glad she'd met this man. Having someone that truly understood her made her feel good. He was also a lot of fun... . '_I wouldn't wanna be his enemy, but, Mike is really something_,' she thought.

"Can't promise it'll be snappy, but, it _will_ happen, baby. You can bet on it. In the meantime, enough talk," he said before claiming her mouth in a hungry kiss.

* * *

A couple hours later, Jason stood in the doorway to Kimberly's and his bedroom- watching his wife sleep. It was shocking she hadn't had to take any sort of sleeping pills. He couldn't even describe the whole day and all he kept seeing in his mind was Kimberly's scene at the funeral. He hadn't known what to expect, but, he certainly hadn't been expecting _that_. It'd actually left him more than a little shaken. He felt helpless- something he hated with a passion. But, he knew he couldn't make this all better just like that... as much as he seriously wanted to. If there were a way to make her pain his, he'd do it in a heartbeat.

'_I don't think there's anything I wouldn't do for you, Pinky_,' he thought, rubbing his chin. Suddenly, she shrieked and sat up straight in the bed. He stepped in and hurried over to her. "It's okay, Kim. I'm right here." He got on the bed a placed a strong hand on her back. She was trembling and her eyes were red-rimmed. "It's gonna be okay," he said quietly.

She gripped the covers. "Horrible dream... you and I had a son and my dad and I were at the park with him. We were laughing, talking and watching the little boy play. Then... Daddy's face got pale, eyeballs turned black and his skin began _disappearing_. Next thing I know, I'm sitting next to a skeleton... then, _it_ disappeared and I started to hear a man laughing._ Awful_, evil laughter. He would not stop."

"That does sound horrible, but, it was only a dream, baby," he said as he slowly rubbed her back.

"No, Jason, it wasn't," she said dully.

"Kim-" he began.

"It wasn't!" she exclaimed. She looked into his eyes. "Jason, something is... this isn't over."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I don't think it stopped at my father. I think we're gonna be dealing with a real-life nightmare," she said.

Jason took a slow, deep breath. "Kim, your father's_ funeral_ was today. Having a bad dream is only natural."

She shook her head slowly. "This isn't about my misery. I think that dream was some kind of warning."

"Or it was just a dream- period. Look, why don't I get you some water or-" Jason was saying.

"I don't want any water. I want you to believe me," she said.

"Kim, I-" he began.

"Jase, this is a real feeling. There'll be some more trouble. Things are gonna get worse before they get better," she said solemnly.

* * *

'_What a stupid movie that was_,' Trisha thought a few minutes later as she rolled her eyes and turned off her television. '_They make so much crap these days! I should just swear off TV altogether_!' Needless to say, she'd been pretty moody the last few days. '_Well, I'm just gonna have to pull myself out of Gloomsville and refocus on life_.' As hard and incredibly painful as it would be, she was determined to try her best to move on. She stood and headed for the kitchen. "I think I'll start by getting some yogurt," she muttered, then, laughed dryly. After entering the kitchen, she caught sight of her garbage can and winced. Taking the trash out would have to be job one, obviously.

Minutes later, she was outside- throwing the trash bag in the Dumpster. '_Ugh! This smells worse than my cousin Vinny's shoes- and that's an accomplishment_!' she thought as she began heading away. Yeah. She was going to do all she could to get on with her life. She was not going to think about Tommy Oliver every three seconds anymore. She wasn't stupid enough to think that that would actually happen anytime soon, of course. '_But it's gonna happen. It has to. That's just all there is to it_,' she thought, ignoring the sharp ache in her heart as much as she could.

Before she could take another step, she was roughly grabbed from behind. Her eyes widened and she almost instantly tried to break free. A sweet-smelling cloth was placed over her mouth and nose. Her wild movements began to slow and her world eventually plunged into total darkness... .

* * *


	21. More Trouble

**Author's Note: _And here is the next installment of DKOL. I was having a battle with writer's block. Also, I've been dealing with a lack of interest and desire and motivation. But, I chose to be strong and try to update anyway. If anyone still remembers me, LOL, and likes this story... well, here's more.  
_**

**_As always, thanks so much for the continued interest and incredible support._**

**_

* * *

_**

**More Trouble**

"Good to have ya back, Sleeping Beauty."

Trisha- whom had just opened her eyes and was staring up- frowned at the sound of the man's voice... which seemed very far away. Where was she? It was dimly lit and musty-smelling. She was groggy. '_Am I on a mattress?_' she wondered. She felt so strange. What was going on? After several, long seconds, she slowly turned her head to the left and her eyes narrowed in confusion. There was a man she'd never seen a day in her life sitting in a chair with a smirk on his face. "Who are you?" Her voice sounded kind of weak.

"You don't know me? Gotta tell ya, babe, that stings," he said, shaking his head.

She tried hard to place his voice because there wasn't enough light to see him clearly. In the back of her mind, she knew his voice was familiar. "Tell me who you are."

He laughed. "You are more of a Moretti than you wanna be, babe, because you're using the 'I demand you give me what I want because I can make you disappear if I wanted' tone."

'_Moretti. Of course_.' A couple minutes later, she sat up slowly. "You work for my brother. Mike hired you to do this. What I want to know is why. Why did he hire you to kidnap me?"

"I hate that word. Kidnap. It's just awful," he said, shaking his head.

"Yet you did it," she snapped- even though her voice wasn't as fierce as it sounded in her head. "Why did Mike do this? What the hell does he want now?"

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe it wasn't Mike who "hired" me, babe?" he asked.

"It couldn't have been my father," she said.

"He has nothing to do with this," the man said smoothly.

"It could only be Mike. He's a heartless monster, so, it's him. He's still pissed because I don't think he should have his children," she said. That had to be it. She'd broken things off with the man she loved. The kids were the only reason Mike would be tormenting her now. Was this seriously her flesh and blood?

"Taking a man's kids is low. What the hell kind of a sister are you?" the guy said, laughing.

"Look, I don't need a kidnapper talking to me about right and wrong. Just tell me who the hell you are and what you plan to do," she said angrily. She was starting to feel a little stronger.

"Love, I am the man you will see and hear when you close your eyes. For the rest of your life," he said, getting off the chair and moving to the dirty mattress. His face was very close to hers. He smelled of cigarettes and beer. "Mike knows nothing about this. After he hired me to screw with the brakes of your car, I decided you were someone I could really go for and followed you. I've kept a close eye on you, babe. Now, that you're single..."

"Screwed with the brakes- I knew your voice sounded familiar!" she exclaimed.

"You can call me Dave, baby," he said smoothly.

"Who the hell cares what your name is?" she snapped. Her voice wasn't as harsh as she'd wanted it to be because she still felt a bit weak. "You're a stalker. A crazy, stalking freak that tried to kill me."

"Okay, okay, okay. It wasn't my finest hour," he said, running his hand over his scruffy, dark hair. He grinned at her. "But, you survived and it's all over now, right? We can move on."

"Almost succeeding in taking a life is a pretty big deal to me," she said in a somewhat calm voice.

Dave sighed- as though he were dealing with a child that was bugging him about going to the toy store. "Look, unlike you, I wasn't born with a shiny, silver spoon in my mouth. But, now that I'm part of your old man's organization, I'm living large and lovely, you know? Never dreamed I'd be making this kind of money." He laughed. "Life, huh?" He looked into her eyes. "Why don't we get back to the subject at hand? You're a sweet piece of tail and, uh, I'm ready for a little fun. You can fight it all ya want, but, we both know it won't matter."

'_He brought me here to... rape me_.' Her pulse rate immediately picked up at the very idea of the disgusting and horrible crime, but, she kept her facial expression blank. "You want "fun" with me, Dave? Go ahead and have a blast. But you better enjoy yourself because my father'll make you sorry you ever even thought of touching me."

"He'll never know," he said lightly. "When I'm done, you won't be able to tell anyone about it."

"I guess killing me _would_ be the smart thing to do," she said, keeping her eyes on his.

"The tough girl act is a real turn-on," he said, winking. Then, a his cell phone rang and he freed it from his pocket. When he saw the number flashing across the small screen, he smirked at Trisha, then, answered. "Mike. What's up?"

Her brother's name brought in that all-too-familiar rage. '_I don't know how, but, I'm gonna get the hell outta here_,' she thought as her eyes darkened and she began inching away from him. Dave wasn't about to accomplish anything. She wasn't exactly the helpless type. '_I can probably talk myself out of this or- as much as it'd repulse me- flirt and charm my way out_.' She was determined to get away from him.

"There's something ya gotta know, man. Your sister's here with me and I'm gonna be doing you a huge favor tonight. All your problems will be erased. It'll be a piece of cake," Dave said, then, gave Mike the location. He smiled. "I gotta tell ya, once again, how grateful I am to the Morettis. You guys saved my ass. I owe you big." His eyebrows rose. "Oh, you're coming here? If that's what you really want. Okay, man. See ya soon." He ended the call and sighed. "Well, Trish, your big bro wants to watch you die. He's on his way. I guess that means no fun time for me. I mean, for all we know, Mike's three blocks away. Guy can be so unpredictable."

Trisha thought fast, then, laughed and nodded. Dave looked at her in surprise and she grinned. "You're absolutely right about Mike. Nobody ever knows what comes next with him. It's been that way since we were kids! He was always shocking us. He was very good at it. He got better as he got older." She stood. "Didn't ya, Mike?"

Dave stood and frowned in confusion. "What are you-"

He didn't get to finish because Trisha's fist met his mouth quickly and firmly. He grunted, fell backward from the force and turned onto his side, his hand on his mouth. She stepped up to the man, kicked him hard in the stomach twice, then, turned and ran as fast as her legs could take her. Once she was outside, she hurried towards his car- which had thankfully been right in front of the warehouse- and got in. The keys were still in the ignition. Well, thank goodness he obviously wasn't that bright. Within seconds, she was on the road. By the time he'd staggered outside, she'd been backing away from the building.

Her heart was pounding. She was filled with almost insane determination and fury. '_This is exactly why I can't go back to Tommy- ever. No way in hell am I letting him put up with this kind of lunacy. Just because he can take care of himself doesn't mean he should have to deal with all the trouble that is my family. He's just gonna have to see that we can't possibly have a life together_,' she thought as the incredible urge to break down and cry right then and there washed over her.

* * *

It was now nearly an hour later and Mike was sitting in his study, drinking Scotch. He and Bianca had planned to stay overnight at the hotel, but, that'd all changed after he'd called Dave. He'd called the guy to tell him about a new assignment... but, Dave told him he had Trisha. Idiot. Stupid, freaking idiot. Instead of biting his head off like he'd wanted, Mike had played along. Dave had actually believed Mike was coming to watch him kill Trisha. Not a chance. Mike had sent two of his men to the warehouse. One was to take Trisha home and the other was to eliminate Dave.

A few minutes earlier, Mike had been informed- by phone- that Dave had been permanently handled. However, Trisha had been nowhere in sight. Clearly, she'd managed to get away. Mike's eyes narrowed at the thought of Dave. He'd honestly thought the moron would be an excellent asset to the business. But, the jackass had screwed up by trying to take matters into his own hands. Unacceptable. '_He wasn't supposed to go after her or anybody if he wasn't ordered to do so_,' Mike thought. The guy should have known better. His stupidity had cost him dearly.

Mike was angry with himself for hiring Dave in the first place. '_The last thing I need is my father thinking I can't be trusted to run the business after he steps down_.' If that happened, his younger brother Tony would be in charge. Mike shuddered at the thought. Tony didn't have what it took to be the top dog. Besides, Mike was Victor's eldest child. The organization was supposed to go to him. Even if he hadn't been the firstborn, he'd still be the best successor because he was the only kid of Victor's that showed unwavering loyalty. As always, thinking of all that power he'd possess filled him with an intense excitement.

The excitement faded quickly when his eyes fell on the framed photograph on his desk. A smiling Adella Moretti. His mother. As he stared at the picture, his least favorite emotion began to swirl around inside of him: guilt. If she were alive, she'd be heartbroken. Completely disappointed in him. Mike swallowed hard and looked away from the photograph- ignored the guilt. His mother hadn't understood. He loved her, but, she hadn't understood. She wouldn't understand now. It was the same with his sister. She simply did not get it. She'd pushed him. If she hadn't pushed him, things may have been different. But, she refused to believe he cared about her.

'_It doesn't even matter anymore, though. If she still hasn't learned her lesson, I'll just have to keep right on teaching_,' he thought with a chuckle.

* * *

It was now three weeks later- the second Saturday in April- and, on this particular afternoon, Tommy was painting one of his bedroom walls. While it was true that his bedroom walls didn't need to be painted, he'd chosen to do so anyhow. He had been doing quite a bit of things that weren't very necessary lately. Anything to keep busy. Anything to keep his mind from wandering towards her. Every, single time Trisha managed to break into his thoughts, his heart would get invaded by misery, pain and anger. He was hurt for obvious reasons. He was angry with her for pushing him away after they'd said they'd stick together. He was not going to try to understand any of this. He didn't care in the least how childish that may have seemed.

He had told her he wasn't giving up, but, maybe he should. Why bother wasting any time, right? '_If she wants me to stay away, fine. It's not like I need her to survive_. _It's not like I need her at all_,' he thought as the anger began taking over yet again. He'd managed before she had come along. '_I'm gonna get on with my life. I'm gonna start moving forward. Trisha's gonna be just somebody from my past._' Just then, the doorbell rang and he sat the paintbrush down. He sighed in annoyance as he stood and headed out of his room. He seriously was not in the mood for company. '_What if it's her_?' he wondered and stopped in his tracks. Then, he shook his head and resumed walking- not even daring to be hopeful. He had decided to move on and that was what would happen. It had to.

When he opened his front door, he found a grinning Rocky DeSantos. Normally, Tommy'd be glad to see any of his friends. But, considering how the last few weeks had gone, he found himself wishing he hadn't answered the door. "Rocky, I'm a little busy right now, man."

Rocky lifted his eyebrows. "Yeah? What are you doing this time- alphabetizing your CD collection?"

"No. But, that gives me something to do tonight," Tommy said dryly.

"Hilarious. Look, bro, you need to go to Trisha and talk to her," Rocky said as he let himself into the house.

"That's not gonna happen. I'm not gonna fight for her. I've decided that I'm gonna move on," Tommy said as he closed the door.

"You don't wanna move on and neither does she," Rocky said.

"It doesn't matter what anybody wants. That's how it's gonna be," Tommy said.

Rocky stared at his friend for several seconds. "She wasn't just some woman you were seeing, Tommy. You love her and she loves you. You were happy together."

Tommy rubbed his hands over his face. "Rocky, I also loved Kim and Kat. I was also happy with them. But, I got over them and I can get over Trish."

"I don't think so," Rocky said with a laugh.

"I-" Tommy began.

"It was different this time, Tommy. It was different this time and everybody knows it," Rocky said.

"Like I said before, I've decided to move on. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but, I'm gonna do it. No more Trisha," Tommy said, keeping his voice free of emotion.

"You're not gonna fight even a little. You're just gonna move past it all," Rocky said.

"Yeah," Tommy said. "I'm not going to try and work things out with her."

Rocky nodded and looked away. A few moments later, he looked at the other man again. "Geez, you're an idiot."

"Yeah, that's real great," Tommy said flatly. "Look, I wanna get back to my painting, so, I'll talk to you la-"

"What if she_ does_ end up falling for someone else and you never do?" Rocky asked.

Just as he'd expected, the words had caused Tommy to pale.

* * *

Bianca sat in her cousin's kitchen with her cell phone to her ear. She waited impatiently for the man to answer. She didn't have much time because she'd promised to take her daughter out for lunch. '_Come on. Answer the damn phone. I don't have all day_.' She was beyond anxious to get her major problem solved. Her annoying obstacle removed.

"Yeah?" came a man's voice after a couple more rings.

"Kyle Mitchell?" she asked.

"Who wants to know?" he asked dully.

"A close friend of Mike Moretti's. I'm Bianca," she said.

"Ohhhh, right. Mike told me you'd be calling," Kyle said.

"He said you're the perfect guy to handle a certain situation of mine," she said.

"Could be," he said. "Tell me the situation, honey."

She took a deep breath. "Her name is Aisha Campbell, well, Taylor. Anyway, I need her out of the picture because she's trying to take my daughter away from me. She already has my daughter's father and she's only using him. It's not like I want her_ dead_. I thought I did because I was so pissed and wasn't thinking straight, but, I decided it was best to go in another direction. I want her marriage to my little girl's father to end and I believe you can make that happen."

* * *


	22. Over? Think Again, Lady

_**Here's the next chapter- it's all about TnT (Tommy and Trisha). Contains different, human emotions and general craziness****. LOL. Hope ya like, love or even think it's just all right.  
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* * *

  
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**Over? Think Again, Lady**

A short while later, Trisha entered her apartment with a heavy sigh. She'd just come from the gym. Amazing workout. Now, it was time for an amazing shower, then, she'd get something to eat. A light lunch. '_Need to check my messages first_,' she thought as she dropped her things on the floor next to the sofa. She had gone on a couple job interviews a couple weeks ago and was almost desperately hoping to hear something that would put a dorky smile on her face. She headed into the kitchen and up to the counter. After seeing she had four messages, she pressed the "play" button on her answering machine, leaned back and waited. The first message was from her grandmother- her mother's mom- and the woman was sweetly guilting Trisha into her visiting her again soon. Trisha grinned and shook her head. '_I love her_,' she thought.

The next one was from a childhood friend wanting to hook up for lunch in the near future, the third one was from a confused-sounding guy looking for someone named Connie and the final one was from Will- whom claimed he'd only called to see how she was doing. Trisha narrowed her eyes slightly at the thought of her ex-fiance. She hadn't talked with him in a while. Even though he said he would no longer try to win her back, she couldn't help wondering if he'd changed his mind now that she was... available. '_If that's really the case, he's wasting his time._' Yeah, they had gotten back on civil terms- sort of- but, she still couldn't let herself fully trust him. Will wasn't the devil, but, he could be an excellent opportunist when he wanted to be.

She shook her head. '_I don't wanna think about Will and relationships. It's just gonna make Tommy come in and take over my brain and it's hard enough as it is trying not to think about him_.' It'd only been a few weeks since the breakup, but, it felt a hell of a lot longer. She missed Tommy more than she could stand. A big part of her was hoping there would be a telephone message from him and she was now feeling upset that there hadn't been. She rolled her eyes. '_Of course there wouldn't be a message from him, you moron. You dumped him_,' she told herself silently. '_You told him to move on and said you would, too_.' However, Tommy _had_ said he wasn't going to give up on them. '_Maybe he changed his mind_.' Her heart squeezed painfully.

'_Okay, if I don't stop thinking about this, I'll go nuts. Must focus on other things_,' she thought, nodding slowly. Her thoughts turned to her current jobless state. It sucked that she hadn't heard anything from either place yet. '_But, that doesn't mean I won't hear anything. If I don't, I'll just keep searching_.' Her eyes clouded over. She wouldn't even need to do any searching if her psycho brother hadn't decided to have her workplace torched. He could deny it until he was blue in the face, but, she knew he was to blame. He could snow their father- possibly- but, not her. No way.

'_Enough with these depressing thoughts. I'm gonna hop in the shower now_,' she thought, then, turned and exited the kitchen. It was a gorgeous Saturday. She wondered if she should go out and enjoy it or stay in and... think about things she couldn't stop thinking about. The first option was obviously the sensible one. Going out and losing herself in something would probably be good and healthy for her. But, she actually _wanted_ to stay all cooped up in her room and let him to creep into her thoughts. Yet, she didn't. She didn't want to think about him, but, she did want to think about him. Geez. Just as she was about to enter the bathroom, there was loud knocking on the front door.

'_I hope this isn't my dad, Mike or Will_,' she thought as she turned and began walking down the hallway. She didn't want to see or talk to any of them at the moment. Or argue with them. When she reached the door, she took a deep breath, unlocked and opened it to find the one that refused to stay out of her head. A dozen emotions immediately began tumbling around in her and she gripped the door. She struggled to keep her face expressionless and against the strong urge to throw her arms around him. "You know you shouldn't be here." Her voice was calm.

Tommy raised his eyebrows. "I shouldn't?"

"Tommy, don't do-" she began.

"That doesn't make any sense, Trish, because where else would I be?" he said with a laugh. His eyes bored into hers. "Where else even matters?"

"Are you seriously gonna make me do this again?" she asked unhappily.

Tommy simply continued to stare into her eyes. After Rocky had said she could fall for someone else, something inside of Tommy had sprang to life. The words had filled him with a determination he was sure he hadn't felt in ages. He had responded to Rocky's statement by walking out of the house, hopping into his Jeep and heading straight for Trisha's. He could not believe he had decided to throw in the towel. He was Tommy Oliver. A former Power Ranger. Giving up on her- on them- would not only be unbelievably stupid, but, unacceptable. He and Trisha were not better off apart. They had something something special and he was not going to walk away again. He would not let her push him away. He would not let either of them out of this apartment building until she gave in. That would probably sound a little creepy and obsessive to a lot of people, but, he knew exactly what he was doing. He was doing what needed to be done.

Trisha swallowed hard. The way he was looking at her made her both nervous and excited. She had to stand her ground. She had to. "Tommy, go home."

"When something's right... I fight for it," he said calmly.

"Dammit, Tommy!" she exclaimed. "Stop making this even more painful and just _go_!" Her emotions were already starting to spin wildly out of control. The man affected her in ways she'd have never thought possible.

He let his gaze sweep over her slowly... deliberately. "Been working out, I see."

Powerful, scary effect. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. God, she had to get him out of here. "Yeah, I went to the gym. I'm a grungy, sweaty mess. I was heading to the shower when you knocked."

"That's funny because 'grungy' and 'mess' aren't even anywhere near my mind. As for sweaty, it works for you. I'm definitely impressed... especially with what you're wearing," he said, his voice husky. "I'm willing to bet you were a major distraction at that gym." He gave her body an _appreciative_ look once again. "Yeah. You should never be ashamed of... sweat." He was somehow managing to stay in complete control.

Trisha trembled. She wanted him. She wanted to get lost in him. She also wanted to kill him. '_I'm starting to feel naked. Oh, yes, Oliver, you're getting out of here before I to say to hell with it, yank you in and run straight for my room. Or that couch over there_,' she thought as her heart continued to go insane. Maybe she _should_ go for it. Common sense was overrated anyway... right?

"Mike being a lunatic isn't your problem," he said.

She blinked in confusion. First, he was getting her all heated up, now, he was talking about her _brother_? She almost smirked and said: "Somebody just won first prize in the Mood-Killing contest." But, reality kicked in with a bang a split second later. She cleared her throat- a little too loudly. "Mike shot up your friends' wedding reception and the bride's father was killed."

"Which is horrible for Kim and everyone that loved her dad. But, you had nothing to do with it," he said.

"He's my brother. I brought chaos and danger when I came into your life! Don't you get it?" she said, throwing her hands up. "Don't you get why you should_ stay away from me_?"

His control snapped. "What I get is that we're both idiots!" he exclaimed.

"Right! I'm an idiot for letting things go as far as they did with us and you're an idiot for being here right now!" she yelled.

"I'm _Billy_ for being here right now!" he yelled, glaring at her in annoyance.

"This is just crazy! I told you we're done and that's how it's gonna stay! You need to let it- wait, Billy? What do you mean Billy? Why did you bring up Billy?" she demanded with a frown. He was Billy for being here? What the hell had he been sniffing?

"Billy's the smartest guy I know! Meaning I made the _smart_ choice by coming here! I wanna be here and you want me here!" he said, his emotions battling inside of him.

"No, I don't!" she screamed. "I want you to leave! I want you to move on and find someone else!"

"I want you to stop _lying_!" he screamed.

"Go away!" she yelled, her eyes flashing.

"No!" he shot back.

"Argh! You are driving me nuts! You're gonna send me straight to the funny farm! I'm gonna have to deal with talking bunnies and singing coat racks because of you!" she screeched.

"Then, stop push..." his voice trailed off and the anger and annoyance faded when the words she'd just spoken truly registered in his brain. He burst out laughing. She glared at him for several seconds, then, gave in and started to laugh as well. Once they'd recovered, he shook his head- a smile on his face. "Talking bunnies and singing coat racks. I can see that happening to you."

She smirked. "I think I'd get the talking umbrella and singing shoe combo."

He laughed again. "I've missed this. I've missed you."

She sighed as hurt replaced the amusement. "Tommy, staying away from me really is the best thing for you." She wasn't surprised to see the irritation return to his eyes.

"That's just_ it_, Trisha. You're deciding what's best for me yet you get angry when your father tries to do the same for you," he said, torn between wanting to shake her and wanting to kiss her until they both forgot their names.

"That's completely different!" she exclaimed. '_How so_?' the annoying voice in her head asked. She closed her eyes. Tommy was wrong. Their situation was nothing like her situation with her dad. Nothing at all. Her eyes snapped open. "I'm not trying to decide what's best for you! I'm trying to help you!"

"Which is exactly the excuse your father uses," he retorted. When she opened her mouth to reply, he stepped up to her. "You wanna help me? Stop trying to shove me outta your life."

She turned and stalked over to her window. "I can't believe you won't even try to understand. You just insist on being difficult."

He closed and locked her door, then, walked up to her. "You've got me beat in the difficult department," he said as he turned her around to face him. "But, that's all right because I like challenges."

"Tommy, _listen_ to me. It doesn't matter what you say or do, I'm not changing my mind. We're not getting back together," she said angrily, hoping the damned tears wouldn't come.

"Sure we are," he said with a genuinely sweet smile.

She sighed in frustration. "I'm not gonna do this. Go home."

"I will- after we fix what you broke," he said casually.

"Not gonna happen," she said in as firm a tone as she could manage. '_Does he have to be so close and so gorgeous_?'

He took her hand and began softly stroking the back of it with his thumb. His eyes were filled with warmth. "God, I love you. I had no idea you'd pull me in like this, but, I'm glad you did. I'm glad every, single day." He placed his other hand on the side of her face. "We said we'd deal with your family and their craziness together and that's exactly what we should do. You don't wanna throw us away. You don't want me to go."

She blinked rapidly. No tears. No tears. "You know I love you. You know I don't want you to go. It's killing me, Tommy. It's killing me to push you away, but, I have to. I was dead wrong to get you involved in my world."

"I wanna be involved," he said, now stroking her face. "I'm gonna be involved. I'm not going anywhere, Trisha. You're wasting your breath."

Her frustration resurfaced. "This is ridiculous."

"No, it isn't. But, staying apart is," he said smoothly. "Stop fighting what's in your heart... you can't win. Which is great for me."

She couldn't help smiling at that. Damn him. Oh, she wanted to give in. With him touching her face and hand, she was dangerously close to doing so. But, she couldn't. "We can't..."

"You were wrong earlier, Trish. I'm not driving you nuts. It's _definitely_ the other way around. But, I don't mind. I don't mind because that's just how much I wanna be with you," he said.

"I'm sorry that I'm hurting you- I'm hurting, too- but, I can't-" she was saying.

"Trish?" he said.

"Yeah?" she said, a little warily.

"Shut up," he said affectionately before pulling her into a kiss.

She responded immediately. She'd missed his lips on hers, his touch. She'd missed everything. '_This is good. This is right. He doesn't wanna go anywhere and that's fine because I don't want him to. I wanna stay here in his arms. I wanna stay in this apartment until everybody we know sends out a search team_.' After the words "search team" entered her brain, her kidnapper- Dave- made his way in. She'd been almost overly cautious since she'd escaped him, but, she hadn't seen him around or noticed anything strange. '_I don't think he's stalking me anymore._ _Mike may have made him.... disappear_.' Needless to say, these thoughts made reality kick in once again and she broke away from Tommy- breathing rapidly. Her face was flushed and chest was heaving- so was Tommy's.

"Oh, God. You better get out of here now," she said breathlessly. "If you don't leave right now, I won't care anymore. We'll definitely be back together."

"Perfect," he said, reaching for her. He sighed in annoyance when she stepped back. "Trish-"

"No, Tommy! My life doesn't need to touch yours! My brother's out of his mind! I mean, the guy he hired to screw with my car kidnapped me a few weeks ago and now I'm thinking that the guy-" she was saying.

"_What_?" he roared before he could stop himself. "You were kidnapped?!"

"I didn't get hurt and I got away. He wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Look, the point is, the insanity never ends! It may take breaks, but, it's never over! I think Mike had the guy killed. Who knows what's gonna happen next? I don't want you to be a target, so, just do yourself a favor and keep away from me!" she yelled.

"Are you as sick of this conversation as I am?" he asked in a bored tone.

"This is serious, Tommy! Stop-" she was saying.

"You're right about not knowing what's gonna happen next. But, that's called_ life_, Trisha. Life," he said.

"Something awful could happen to you," she said tightly.

"Trish, I told you that I used to be a superhero. I used to risk my life on a regular basis. Your family may not be aliens or monsters with stupid names, but, I'm not of afraid of them. If I couldn't deal, I wouldn't be here right now. Hell, I'd have let you go the first time you told me about them," he said. He had had it. He was going to make her understand and accept that they needed to be together- even if he went crazy trying to do so!

Trisha felt... well, she was feeling everything. She also knew that she _was_, in fact, tired of this conversation and that her arguments had started to sound incredibly weak to her own ears. Maybe Tommy's presence was wearing her down or maybe she just knew, deep down, that he was right. She looked into his beautiful eyes and felt like laughing at her idiocy. Was she _loony_? She loved this amazing man and he loved her back. He believed in her and what they had. He was willing to fight for and with her... and she was trying to kick him out of her life. She rolled her eyes. "All right, already. You win. I'm yours. Jerk," she said with a fond smile.

He grinned and pulled her to him. "I was expecting to win."

"Oh, shut up," she said grumpily with love and sheer joy in her eyes.

He laughed as happiness surged through him, then, leaned in and started speaking into her ear. "I believe you said something about a shower."

She shivered, but, smirked. "Yep. _I _really need a shower."

"And some company," he said, fire in his eyes.

"Got anybody in mind?" she teased.

"Oh, yeah. I think you'll like the guy," he said with a wink.

* * *

Minutes later, the two of them were in her shower- facing each other as the warm, soothing water rained down on them. They shared a long, steamy kiss and their desire began raging even more. Their hands slid all over each other. Their heads were spinning... hearts pounding with excitement. She moaned at the feel of his hardness against her. His mouth moved to that sensitive spot on her neck. As much as she loved his tongue on her skin, she wanted him to take her _right_ _now_. They could do the sensual teasing and foreplay later- after they actually showered. She needed to express the fierce, blazing, earth-shattering passion she knew they were both feeling.

"Tommy?" she said, taking hold of his manhood.

He almost exploded right then and there. "Yeah?" he managed. He couldn't have wanted her more if he tried.

"Now," she mouthed, releasing her hold on him.

He quickly lifted her up and her arms and legs came around him. He turned and pressed her back against the wall. Their eyes locked as he entered her. The connection caused guttural groans to tear from them both. His hands cupped her rear. "You ready for me, Trisha?" His voice was rough with passion. "You ready to go over the edge with me?" He, of course, was beyond ready to take them to the most dizzying height of ecstasy.

"Always," she said, her body quivering.

He nodded once, then, began thrusting into her... slowly and deeply. Although he most definitely planned to pick up the pace and urgency, he couldn't resist being torturous a little bit longer- even though it was no easy task. He wanted her eyes to roll back. Wanted her to beg with or without words. Wanted to make her feel as though they and the water that was pelting their bodies were the only things that existed in the universe. Wanted to make all her control go far out of her reach. He suddenly thought of the first time they'd made love and his excitement climbed to a higher level. She was moaning and bringing her hips forward- meeting his thrusts with eagerness and impatience.

"Tommy... don't be ...evil," she said through her groans.

"Couldn't... help it... when I was... the green... ranger... and I can't... help it... now." It was a miracle he was able to get one word out, let alone joke. He was satisfied to see her eyes rolling back.

He finally took pity on them both and gave in to the overpowering passion that was more than ready to burst from the two of them. Their eyes grew wilder and their pleasurable moans became screams simultaneously as his thrusts quickened and became quite urgent. They were moving as one and arrived to the point where neither could tell the water from the sweat they were working up or their ecstatic screams apart. The heat pouring from their bodies could give a southern California summer a run for its money. He grunted as he began thrusting even faster and deeper and more frantically. He wanted her to feel him until next _month_. He would happily get totally lost in her. A bit later, they were approaching completion.

"Tommy, I'm... it's... I'm..." her voice trailed off into moans. She felt psychotic.

"Wait for me," he managed to say. She did. They screamed through their dangerously intense climax... .

* * *


	23. Untitled

**Disclaimer**: _I only own the OCs and the fictional places I choose to make up for funsies- like Dazzle, for example. LOL.  
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*Blows the dust off the story* Well, it has been way too long and I apologize, people. I was dealing with motivation issues almost lost interest altogether. UGH. Anyway, if anybody still cares, I decided to try and jump back into the writing pool anyway. Take a chance. An online buddy of mine unintentionally encouraged me. I hope this chapter is aight. After all, I'm a little rusty.

**Since it's been awhile, here are a few reminders of what's happening in the story: **

**1. Tommy/Trisha reunited. Happy times.  
**

** 2. Bianca- the mother of Zack's daughter- is still plotting to break up Zack/Aisha's marriage.**

** 3. Bianca's also still seeing Trisha's brother's Mike.**

* * *

It was now five months later- September. The final Saturday in September. On this nice, fall night, Trisha and Tommy were watching television at his place. Rocky and Katherine had gotten married today and fortunately, everything had gone smoothly. Considering the horror that had taken place at Kimberly and Jason's wedding reception months earlier, Trisha been worried Mike would try to pull the same nightmarish thing twice. Quite a bit had happened over the last few months. Kimberly was doing fine- partially thanks to the therapist she'd been seeing since her father's murder, Tanya had given birth to her and Adam's son- AJ Park- seven weeks earlier and Trisha had become an assistant editor at yet another fashion magazine. It was named Dazzle and located in Los Angeles- she'd been working there for two months. Also, Trisha had met Trent, Conner, Ethan and Kira when they'd visited Tommy during their summer break.

Tommy slid his gaze from the TV to his girlfriend. A year. They'd been together a year- neither counted their brief separation. He couldn't believe they'd known each other a year. Time had seriously flown. He chuckled to himself and shook his head. A year ago, he hadn't believed he'd be sitting here with a woman he loved like crazy. Everything had been going great the last few months, too. With them and his friends. But, Tommy knew better than to let his guard down. Mike being all quiet was only the calm before the storm. But, it didn't matter because Tommy and Trisha would take it all on together. "Trish?" he said lightly.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking over at him.

"There's something I've gotta take care of. I'll be back as soon as I can," he said with a smile.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"More than you know," he said truthfully, then, kissed her cheek. He stood and exited the room.

She looked after him, then, shrugged and resumed watching television. Tommy had been acting all weird and mysterious since yesterday- not in a way that freaked her out, but, confused and amused her. About twenty minutes later, a musical noise sounded. Her cell phone. A text message. She grabbed her phone off the coffee table and frowned when she that it was a message from Tommy. What in the world was he up to? She pressed the button to view his text and it read: '_Go to my room. There's a little surprise in there for ya_._ Take your phone with you_.' She raised her eyebrows slightly, then, slowly stood. When she entered his bedroom, she looked around and her eyes landed on a beautiful, red dress and red, high-heeled sandals. She walked up to the the bed and smiled. Another text message came in moments later, she viewed it and it'd read: '_After you've dressed, come out to the backyard_.' She couldn't wait to see what he had planned.

A short while later, Trisha stepped into his backyard and her eyes widened. Music was playing, there were pretty decorations, bright, white lights and his picnic table had a tablecloth draped over it. There was a bowl of punch and two cups on the table. Tommy, whom looked delicious in his black tux, approached her with a smile. She looked at him and shook her head slightly. "Tommy, this is... when did you..."

"Well, I brought the punch and radio out myself, but, you can thank Aisha and Kim for the decorations- they did it yesterday," he said. "You look beautiful, Trisha."

"So do you. So does the yard," she said. "Not that I mind, but, why'd you do this?"

"A few days ago, you told me how you and your brothers were home-schooled instead of attending school because of your family enemies. You said you regretted not going to a prom, so... I decided to give you one," he said.

Trisha's jaw dropped as love filled her eyes and happiness surged through her.

"It's not the fanciest, but-" he was saying.

"It's perfect," she whispered. "I am so... this is the sweetest... . Thank you. Thank you so much, honey. Like I've always said, you're a special kinda guy, Tommy."

"Not really. I'm just a guy that really loves his girl," he said, then, presented his arm. "May I have this dance?"

She looped her arm through his and grinned. "You may, Dr. Oliver." He led her out into the middle of the yard they began slowly moving as one. This man was incredible. Seriously. Giving her the prom she'd never had. "I just love you so much."

"I love you, too," he said as he tightened his hold on her.

* * *

"I am really getting impatient, Mike," Bianca said three days later- Tuesday night- as she paced back and forth in his bedroom. They'd stopped meeting in hotels a few months earlier. They'd introduced each other to their kids as each others' 'friend'. Mike's kids- Tyler and Kayla- were fast asleep. So was the live-in nanny, Emma. "When is your friend Kyle gonna ruin Aisha and Zack's pathetic marriage?"

Mike, whom was lounging on his bed, gave his lover an annoyed look. "Like I keep telling you, it's gonna take a little time. Now, shut up about your fucking problems for a second. I've got my own shit to deal with."

"Hey!" Bianca said angrily. "If Kyle doesn't hurry up and carry out this secret plan of his, I'm gonna be really pissed. That bitch Aisha is brainwashing my daughter more and more with each passing day. Seems like Ariel wants to be around her more than me. That's not right! _I'm _her mother, Zack is her father and Aisha is nothing. My nine-year-old daughter no longer wanting to be with me is a very serious problem. Think you try pretending to give a crap?"

"I said to shut up," he said harshly, a dangerous glint in his eye.

"Hey, I am _not_ your late wife! You don't push me around and bark out orders at me!" she said. "I'm not afraid of you, Mike."

"You're not that stupid," he said in a low, serious voice.

"I mean it," she snapped. "Nobody's afraid of you. Tommy Oliver sure as hell isn't!"

Mike's eyes went dark. He got off the bed and walked up to her. "Tommy Oliver. is. a. fool." He grabbed her by the shoulders. "If you don't shut up and relax, no one will ever see you again."

The words caused a chill to wash over her. Standing here, looking into his eyes... it reminded her that Mike was crazy and treacherous. She swallowed nervously. "I get the message. Loud and clear."

"Good girl," he said, releasing his hold on her. "Now, Aisha Taylor will be handled."

"Again, I don't want her dead. Just wrecked," she reminded him.

"She will be and that Zack guy will be yours for the taking," he said.

"He, Ariel and I deserve to be a family," Bianca said, her voice taking on a dreamy tone. "Zack will marry me and we'll give Ariel a little brother or sister. We'll have that dream house of mine- the one I used to tell Zack about when we were in Switzerland. We had really great times there. He's made himself believe that we were just good friends and nothing more. But, I know that he was in love with me in his own way. He honestly was. We shared a strong bond. I just have to remind him of what we really had. He'll see that Aisha's not the love of his life. It was always me... ."

"If you say so," Mike said with a shrug.

She sighed. "He only married her because she pressured him. Took advantage of his good heart. Now, she's trying to claim my child. Mine. That woman is pure evil. There is just no way Zack would willingly marry someone like her. She has him so fooled and I feel bad for him. It, it hurts me to see him like that." Tears sprang to her eyes and she shook her head sadly. "I hate to say this, but, someone like Aisha doesn't deserve love. She should be alone. She should be unhappy. I can't wait for Zack to see her for who she really is so I can finally have the life I've denied myself for way too long."

* * *

Two nights later, Trisha was in her car in her apartment building's parking lot. She'd just come from work. She was exhausted, but, so happy to be working again. She couldn't wait to start complaining about it, because that was just normal. But, right now, she wanted a lavender and chamomile-scented bath. She grabbed her purse off the passenger seat, then, got out of her car and locked the doors. Set the alarm. Just as she was about to walk towards the building, someone called her name. She turned to see her ex-fiance approaching her. She and Will hadn't spoken much lately. "Will, what are you doing here?" Her upper lip curled when he reached her. He smelled of alcohol, the top three buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned and his hair was unruly. Looked like he hadn't shaved in decades.

"I've been thinkin' a lot about ya, Trishy," he said, then, laughed. "Trishy, Trishy, Trishy. I first called you that when I was six. Trishy. I've been missin' ya, sweetheart. We never had any breakup sex, didja know?

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's been bugging me for years," she said sarcastically. "Look, Will, lemme call you a cab."

"What, what are you talking cab for? I'm here for an official goodbye," he said, yanking her to him. "We can start with a kiss. Admit it. Nobody's ever kissed you like I used to. You miss it. I know you do, Trish. You're so... freaking _transparent_!"

She tried to pull away from him, but, he held fast. "Will, let me go- now."

"Not til we have a proper goodbye. It's only fair, Trishyyyy. We kiss, kiss and kiss, then, take it up to your apartment. Whaddya say? Huh? Huh?" he said, smiling lecherously.

"I'm calling you a cab. You need to go home and sleep it off," she said, still trying to free herself of his hold. "Let me _go_, Will."

He backed her into her car. "Shh. It's gonna happen." Then, he claimed her mouth in a brutal kiss.

* * *

**Endnotes**:

**Stay tuned for more**.


	24. Trouble For Aisha

**Author's Note**: (**dusts off story**) Hey, to all that are still around! I've been away for quite some time, but, here I am! Before I start the chapter, I wanna thank the readers and reviewers for all the amazing support they've shown me throughout. I'm glad I can entertain you with my stories.

**Quick recap**: In the last chapter, **Bianca**- whom is the mother of Zack's daughter **Ariel **and hater of **Aisha**- was ranting about how she wants Aisha and Zack's **marriage **ended immediately since she believes that Zack should be with her and Ariel as a family... . **Trisha's **ex-fiance, **Will**, showed up at her apartment building- drunk. He grabbed her, backed her against her car and she's trying to free herself of his grip. Ended with him basically forcing a **kiss **on her.

On with the story...

* * *

**Trouble For Aisha**

"Don't fight this, Trish," Will said against her lips. There was actually pleading in his tone.

Trisha tried not to gag from the smell of strong liquor on his breath. She cleared her throat and he pulled his face from hers to find her smiling. "Why would I fight it? What would be the point? I'm a big fan of just letting things happen. Why try to stop it? It's a waste of energy. So, just do whatever you have to do."

"It's what _we _have to do, Trish. We need to go on up to your apartment and share a proper goodbye. Don't wanna do it in a parking lot. Talk about cheap and classless. Am I right?" he said with a short laugh.

She nodded. "You're right, Will. Things between us didn't end the way they should, so... my apartment it is."

His eyebrows raised. "Seriously, baby?"

She sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. It's weird, twisted and dead wrong, but, I'm gonna do it. I owe you this. It'll be good closure for the both of us and Tommy never needs to know about it."

He looked at her for several seconds, then, grinned. He released her and stepped back. "That's my girl. Now, why don't you lead the wa- ow! The hell?" The physical pain he was feeling was crystal clear on his face. "Dammit! You just had to _knee _me, didn't you! You'll _never _know how much that shit hurts! _Ahh_!"

Trisha was glaring at him, hands on her hips. "Will, never kiss me again and _never _think I'm gonna let you touch me again. And don't ever show up here again! From here on out, I don't wanna see or talk to you anymore. We're less than strangers to each other now and that's your fault."

"Trisha..." he said through pained grunts.

"I don't know why, but, I'm still gonna call a cab for you pathetic ass," she said.

"No... don't. Wait," he said, breathing a bit heavily.

"Well, you're sure as hell not getting in a car with me," she said hotly.

"No, it's- I'm sorry. I'm really sorry about this. I never should've come. I don't even know why I did," he said, sighing.

"The whiskey made you do it," she said sarcastically. "Look, Will, just let me get you in a cab, okay?"

"Fine," he muttered, now leaning back on her car. His expression was now... sad. "I was an idiot to come over and try to get you to sleep with me. If you wanna tell Tommy, be my guess. Just tell me when you're doing it so I can know when to expect to have my ass handed to me." '_What the hell is wrong with me? I don't even want Trisha back! Maybe I do need to lay off the drinking for awhile because stuff like this can't happen_,' he thought, feeling utterly disgusted with himself. Horror filled him. What if he'd actually taken her against her will? That was one thing he'd never be able to live with. He'd more than likely beat Trisha's family and Tommy to ending his life by performing the act himself.

After finishing her call, Trisha slid her cell phone shut and turned to Will. "The cab's gonna be here soon. Advice: put the bottle down for a nice, long while. But, first, strong coffee and nice shower."

"Good advice," he said quietly. "I really am sorry and I want you to know that I meant what I said months ago- I'm not gonna try to come between you and Tommy. I've moved on as far as we go. I guess that I got to drinking- something I've been doing a lot of lately- and reminiscing and here I am. But, no excuses. Again, I'm sorry. For tonight and for all the pain I've caused. I really care about you and I always have, Trish."

"Will... just stop drinking so much. You can end up hurting yourself and others," she said calmly.

"Why aren't you still mad?" he asked in surprise.

"Stop drinking so much," she repeated, staring straight ahead.

"I'll try," he whispered.

* * *

'_Maybe I better call Kat or Trini and ask... ask them to come pick me up_,' Aisha thought as she sat back down in her chair two nights later- Saturday night. She and her friends had met at this bar for drinks. It wasn't a dive, but, it wasn't the fanciest place, either. It was decent enough. Excellent service. Anyway, Kat and Trini had gone home almost a half-hour ago, but, Aisha had chosen to stick around a bit longer for reasons unknown to her. She blinked a few times and pulled her phone out of her purse. She couldn't call Zack because he and Ariel were visiting his grandparents- whom hadn't met Ariel- and wouldn't be back until tomorrow night. Aisha would have gone, but, she had to tend to a few things this weekend. But, she, Ariel and Zack made plans to see his grandparents on Thanksgiving. A lazy smile lit Aisha's face. She loved how it hadn't taken long for them to feel like a family. '_Whew! I didn't even drink that much and I'm feeling all crazy. Wait, did I drink too much? Doesn't make sense_,' she thought as she stared at her phone in confusion.

"You okay?" a male voice asked.

She looked up to see a guy with shaggy, dirty-blonde hair standing in front of her table with a concerned expression. Didn't she know this dude? He seemed a little familiar. Or maybe not. Who knew? "Yeah, I'm... calling a ride. Don't wanna drive right now."

"Smart idea," he said with a chuckle. "Name's Kyle."

"Aisha," she said in a distracted tone. Her head was whirling and she suddenly couldn't remember who she wanted to call. She put the phone down on the table. "Maybe one more drink..." She'd never be able to tell anyone why she'd said that.

"You really think that's the best move?" Kyle asked in an amused tone.

Aisha laughed- loudly. "You're right. You're right. You are." She stood. "Maybe a little dancing. But, first, bathroom!" She took two steps before he had to grab her arm to prevent the inevitable and embarrassing fall. "Thanks!" She laughed again. The bar began spinning furiously. "Slow down, slow down!"

"Huh?" Kyle said.

His voice sounded far away to Aisha. Everything seemed far away. "Zack... ." She looked into the eyes of the man now holding her in his arms and smiled lovingly. "I love you so much, baby."

* * *

"Daddy, I had a lotta fun," Ariel said the next morning- before yawning. She and Zack were supposed to come home tonight, but, there'd been a change in plans, so, here they were.

"So did I, baby girl," Zack said with a grin. "Why don't you go on in your room and sleep some more?"

"Okay. You think they really liked me?" the nine-year-old girl asked hopefully.

"Nope. I think they already _love _you," he said, kissing her forehead. She smiled, then, headed for her bedroom. He headed for his and Aisha's room. It'd only been a couple nights, but, he'd really missed his wife. So happy to be back home. Zack opened their bedroom door, stepped in... and was hit with a sight he never, in a billion years, thought he would see. His eyes were wide, mouth was open and a dozen different emotions were swimming around in him. What. the. _hell_? This had to be a nightmare. Maybe he was still at his grandparents, asleep and dreaming. Yeah. That had to be it. Had to be. Because there was no way Aisha, the woman that'd promised to love and honor him for the rest of her life, would be in bed with another man. Especially the bed she shared with her husband. There was just no _way_.

Zack could not move an inch. He stood, frozen, watching Aisha- whom was wrapped in the guy's arms- slowly awake. She noticed Zack a few seconds later and her face lit up.

"Baby, you're back! I-" she was saying, but, stopped abruptly when she realized she was in the arms of a man that wasn't her husband... in their bed. Cold astonishment slammed into her as she slowly turned her aching head in the man's direction. Who was he! She was in bed with a man she didn't know! They were both naked. No. No, no, no. Nausea filled her. How had this happened? She'd never intentionally hurt Zack. Never. Something was off. Way off. No. No. She managed to jerk free of the man's hold, wrap the covers around herself and stand. She was trembling. "Zack, I don't even know-"

Zack snapped back to reality and closed the door, so, Ariel wouldn't hear. He walked up to Aisha- his eyes blazing. "What the hell is this, Sha? I come home to find some jackass in my _bed _with _my _wife. What the hell _is _this? Who is this guy? How long's it been going on? Why? Why did it even start?"

There was so much fury in his voice. Tears filled Aisha's eyes. "It didn't! I swear it didn't! Zack, this is the first time this ever happened and I don't even know this man! I don't know who he is or how he ended up here."

"You gotta do better than that, Sha. 'Cause neither one of us are stupid," Zack said in a low, harsh tone. How could she do this to him? He'd trusted her with his life. He loved her with everything he had in him. His heart squeezed painfully. He could not wrap his mind around this. Of course, he was too damn angry to even try to do so. His anger intensified when the guy began to wake.

"Unh!" he grunted, then, sat up and stretched and yawned. When he noticed Zack, he quickly grabbed a pillow and placed it over himself. "Dude."

"Put your clothes on and get the hell outta here," Zack said in an eerily calm voice.

"Who are you?" Aisha asked the guy in a broken voice.

He blinked. "Seriously? I'm Kyle. We met last night at the bar. Don't you remember?"

"Being at a bar, yes! But, not you!" she exclaimed with wide eyes.

"We're not gonna play this game. We don't have time for it. He's getting out of here," Zack said in a steely tone. If his daughter weren't in this apartment, he'd happily beat the hell out of this loser.

"Look, man, sometimes, things just-" Kyle was saying.

"That's not getting dressed so you can leave," Zack said acidly.

"Zack, I swear-" Aisha began.

"I'm gonna pack some things so Ariel and I can be ready to leave in a few hours. She's going back to her mom today and I'm sure my folks won't mind me staying there a few nights," Zack said.

"You can't leave," she whispered.

He looked into her eyes- something he could barely stand to do at the moment. "We're done, Aisha. Done. There's no lie you can come up with that'll change my mind. I cannot believe I married you and if I never see your face again, it'll be too soon."

"But, Zack! Don't you see that something's-" she was saying.

"All I see is a woman I thought I knew," he said in an immensely sad tone.

* * *

**Endnote: _To be continued._..**


End file.
